Abstract

Immigrants experience identity shifts; they can identify with the new cultural group and, sometimes, identify less with their group of origin. Previous research suggests that participation in the new cultural group predicts these two identity shifts. However, these studies have exclusively used correlational methodologies. Furthermore, previous research ignored that when a group is negatively valued, individuals may not identify with it, even after participating in it, to preserve a positive social identity. This article tests with an experimental methodology whether participation recreated the identity shifts previously identified (greater identification with the new group and lower identification with the group of origin when perceiving dissimilarity). Furthermore, it tested how a group's value impacted these identity shifts following participation. Immigrants in Quebec (N = 184) either participated in Quebec's culture (watched hockey) or did not (watched basketball). Quebec's value was manipulated by changing whether Quebec won, tied, or lost the game. Compared to watching basketball, watching Quebec's team win or tie showed the hypothesized identity shifts, illustrating the importance of the new group's value when participating.

Highlights

  • Recent research suggests that both participation in the new group and identity shifts are related

  • Does previous research prevent us from assuming causality, and it neglected to consider that individuals wish to belong to groups with a positive value (Tajfel & Turner, 1979)

  • 192 Diana Cardenas and Roxane de la Sablonniere shifts, and, second, that the impact of culture can be examined with experimental designs, the first goal of this article was to use an experimental methodology to ascertain whether participation in the new group can increase identification with the new group, leading to the additive/subtractive identification patterns

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Summary

Introduction

Recent research suggests that both participation in the new group and identity shifts are related. In four studies employing surveys and questionnaires, participating in the new cultural group predicted higher levels of identification with it (Cardenas et al, 2018; see Cardenas & de la Sablonniere, 2017); higher identification with the new group in turn predicted lower levels of identification with the group of origin when individuals. The positive impact of participation on identification with the new group might be conditional to the new group’s value; an immigrant may not be inclined to identify with a negatively valued new group, even after participating in it

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