Ethnic Research Articles

Exploring the effect of gender and culture on the relationship between self-silencing and depressive symptoms

ABSTRACT Objective The self-silencing theory explains how cultural norms can expect women to maintain their relationships by silencing their self, which can restrict voice and power in relationships, thereby potentially leading to depression. However, the literature regarding gender differences in self-silencing is inconsistent. In this study, we aimed to investigate gender and cultural differences in self-silencing in an adult community sample. Method Iranians residing in Australia (men n = 60, women n = 58) and European Australians (men n = 53, women n = 59) completed measures of self-silencing, depression and self-reported gender. Results There were no cultural or gender differences in self-silencing. Aspects of self-silencing (i.e. greater levels of divided self, r = .33, p < .001, and greater levels of externalised self-perception, r = .40, p < .001) were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Gender moderated the association between care as a self-sacrifice and depressive symptoms, B = .31, SE= .14, 95%CI [.04−,58], t = 2.24, p = .026. Follow-up analyses showed that for women, higher levels of care as self-sacrifice were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, B = 0.17, SE = 0.09, t = 1.88, p = .06, 95% CI [<−.001,0.35]. However, for men, higher levels of care as self-sacrifice were associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms, B = −0.13, SE = 0.10, t = 1.32, p = .18, 95% CI [−0.34, 0.67]. Cultural group did not moderate any of the associations. Conclusions This cross-cultural study offers further insights regarding self-silencing in the context of depressive symptoms and provides initial insights for clinical practice.

How thinking style influences online consumers’ responses to compromise-based service attributes

ABSTRACT Prior studies on online shopping behavior have been silent about global consumers’ compromise choices in online service attributes. Three studies investigate how and when consumers’ thinking styles affect their service responses toward online retail websites offering compromise options. The priming findings demonstrate that consumers in two cultural groups (Korea and France) are more satisfied with and more likely to repurchase from compromise-based websites in the holistic-thinking than analytic-thinking condition. This research contributes to extant literature on consumer online behavior and provides managerial insights on the practical uses of compromise tendencies for online service strategies in global retail markets.

Colonialism, Weaponisation of Ethnicity &amp; Intermittent Political Violence

Ethnic conflicts have increased across the globe, and especially after the Cold war; and indeed affected various countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and America. In most of these cases, it has been triggered by struggles for the meagre resources and domination of political power. In Africa, studies on ethnic conflicts have indicated a strong interplay between ethnicity and the colonial phenomenon. This article endeavours to connect the intermittent political violence in Uasin Gishu, Kenya, within the purview of the colonial phenomenon particularly, when the violence was viewed historically as a process and not an event. It hypothesizes that the violent subterfuge of ethnic communities in Uasin Gishu and other portions of the rift valley were the result of the despair and fear perceived by native communities as a result of presumed economic and political setbacks during the colonial era. To this end, the initial research study was guided by three theories, namely: Primordialism, instrumentalism and relative deprivation theories which reinforced each other as the lens through which to make sense of the connection between colonialism and the said intermittent political violence. The study is based on a research project that employed the historical method from the dual perspectives of interpretivism philosophical outlook and qualitative approach. The main submission, in this research article, is that the coming and settlement of the colonialists led to the growth of toxic ethnic relations within the Rift valley region that were initially non-existent. This situation was further exacerbated after independence (1963), as the political elites became the new drivers of the vice

Indigenous traditional knowledge of riparian medicinal flora utilized by ethnic communities along the Beas River in Himachal Pradesh, India

Indigenous traditional knowledge of riparian medicinal flora utilized by ethnic communities along the Beas River in Himachal Pradesh, India

The FinSwed study: Using verbal NEPSY-II subtests with a cultural minority group

While it has been established that cultural differences in test performance are common, few studies have compared groups from different countries that speak the same language. The aim of this study was to investigate the generalizability of selected linguistic and verbal memory subtests from the Swedish NEPSY-II to the Finland-Swedish minority group. The participants were 275 Swedish-speaking children from Finland aged 5–16-years. The performance was compared to the U.S. norms used in the test. The Finland-Swedish children scored around scaled score 12 and significantly higher than the normative mean on the subtests Comprehension of Instructions, Phonological Processing, Word Generation Semantic, List Memory, and Sentence Repetition, whereas no significant differences to the norms emerged for the subtests Word Generation Initial Letter, Narrative Memory, and Word List Interference. There was a significant age effect for two subtests, with scaled scores increasing with age. Lower parental education and male sex were associated with lower test scores on some subtests, whereas bilingualism was not. The findings were viewed in relation to previous comparison studies involving the NEPSY-II/NEPSY. The differences were suggested to relate to cultural, educational, and test-related differences between Finland, Sweden, and the U.S. The results add to the clinical utility of the NEPSY-II.

Individual placement and support (IPS): duration of employment support and equity of access and outcome in routine clinical practice.

To explore the duration of support, reach, effectiveness and equity in access to and outcome of individual placement and support (IPS) in routine clinical practice. A retrospective analysis of routine cross-sectional administrative data was performed for people using the IPS service (N = 539). A total of 46.2% gained or retained employment, or were supported in education. The median time to gaining employment was 132 days (4.3 months). Further, 84.7% did not require time-unlimited in-work support, and received in-work support for a median of 146 days (4.8 months). There was a significant overrepresentation of people from Black and minority ethnic communities accessing IPS, but no significant differences in outcomes by diagnosis, ethnicity, age or gender. Most people using IPS services do not appear to need time-unlimited in-work support. Community teams with integrated IPS employment specialists can be optimistic when addressing people's recovery goals of gaining and retaining employment.

“They Are Taking the Sea from us” - Maritime Extractivism, Dispossession and Resistance in Rural and Ethnic Communities of the Colombian Caribbean

This article provides an overview of the impacts of the current Colombian extractivist development model on peasant, Afro-descendant, and Indigenous communities’ territorial seas ( maritorium) in the Colombian Caribbean. We reflect on the implications of a gradual penetration of concepts such as the blue economy in national public policy. The impacts of activities such as port infrastructure, oil drilling and mining, tourism and industrial fishing, are briefly analyzed, using examples gathered in different parts of the region where growing dispossession is evident. The article ends with a reflection on the various forms of resistance employed by these communities today to confront the plundering of their living spaces associated with coastlines and the sea.

Enhancing health care for ethnic minority communities: a path to equitable care.

Enhancing health care for ethnic minority communities: a path to equitable care.

Cultural Solidification and Group Marginalization in Hollywood Films

Cultural Solidification and Group Marginalization in Hollywood Films

Secular socialization vs. religious reactivity: effects of ethnic composition and discrimination on changing religiosity among Muslim youth

ABSTRACT Based on three waves of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries (2010-2013), we test hypotheses of religious decline and religious reactivity among Muslim youth in England, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The religious decline hypotheses predict that the proportion of natives in schools and neighborhoods has a negative impact on the religiosity of Muslim youth. The religious reactivity hypothesis states that Muslim youth increase their religiosity when they experience discrimination in the host country. We assess three dimensions of religiosity – service attendance, frequency of prayer, and subjective importance of religion – using linear growth models. Our findings partially support the religious decline hypotheses, particularly regarding prayer frequency. Additionally, we find that perceived discrimination is not related to prayer frequency or subjective importance of religion and, at best, predicts a decrease in service attendance rather than an increase, contradicting the religious reactivity hypothesis.

50+ years of psychological acculturation research: Progress and challenges

Acculturation psychology, now over fifty years old, has evolved significantly since its inception in the mid-1960s. This paper seeks to shape the future of the field by addressing recent criticisms and controversies such as the association between integration and adaptation. The author reflects on acculturation psychology’s journey and highlights how global migration trends have accelerated the growth of acculturation as a critical area in psychology. Despite its popularity, the field has faced methodological challenges that necessitate a review of psychometric issues and foundational models. Given the profound impact of acculturation research on millions of lives, our findings must be clear and uncontested. The paper calls for re-evaluating the field's goals and objectives in light of the evolving ethnic compositions of societies. It advocates for leveraging methodological advancements and sophisticated statistical tools to ensure that acculturation research continues to contribute positively to humanity.

Refugee Minors’ Perspectives Explored with the Bridge Drawing and Children’s Hope Scale

AbstractMoving from one’s home country to a foreign country due to unforeseen circumstances such as war and unrest is a distressing life event. For minors, such an experience can impact their perception of the past and present alongside future goals and desires. With this background, a pilot study was done to assess the life transition reflected in the Bridge Drawing Test (BDT) of refugee minors who have moved from either Ukraine or Eritrea and are currently living in Israel, with a control group. A mixed-methods design involving BDT and the Children’s Hope Scale (CHS) was administered to a sample (N = 35, 20 girls and 15 boys) consisting of 16 refugee minors and 19 controls aged 4 to 14 years (M = 8.3 years, SD = 2.8). The BDT was assessed using indicators from the original bridge drawing directive and the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale (FEATS) by two Art Therapists (Cohen’s Kappa ranged from 0.6 to 1). Results showed significant group differences in indicators: Prominence of colour, details of objects and environment, obviousness of Solidarity of bridge attachments and high versus low hope from the BDT (Medium effect size &amp; p &lt; .05). Associations between Pathway and Agency with BDT indicator and FEATS were seen. Refugee status also moderated the relationship between the CHS Total score and the subscale of Pathway and BDT indicator, namely Directionality (p = .01 &amp; p = .02). Bridge drawings of refugee minors have differences that can aid in understanding their hope and goals, offering benefits as a diagnostic and therapeutic intervention tool. Future studies with larger samples, and diverse cultural groups are warranted to explore the same.

Traditional Self-Governing Institution of the Co Ho Sre People in Lam Dong in Current Social Life

The Co Ho Sre people, the largest local group within the Co Ho ethnic group, had a long-standing culture, highlighted by developed wet rice farming and stable settlements in their villages. The village of the Co Ho served as a traditional social organization with essential functions in organizing, managing, and operating the community regarding economy, society, culture, and ethnic consciousness in a context of low development. The traditional self-governing institution of the Co Ho village relied on customary laws and the prestige of the village chief to govern all activities within the village. Although there have been many changes in social management, the self-governing institution of the Co Ho Sre still retained many positive elements, playing an essential role in building the Co Ho Sre community in particular and minority ethnic communities in Lam Dong in general. The article applied synthesis and analysis methods along with survey and interview methods to reconstruct the traditional self-governing institution and evaluate its role in the current life of this ethnic group.

The impact of an organized physical activity program on the health indicators of students from differ-ent cultural groups in second chance school setting

The primary objective of this research was to assess the impact of a structured physical activity program on the health indicators of adult students attending a multicultural Second Chance School (SCS). The study encompassed a total of 62 SCS students aged 19 to 57, who were divided into two groups: experimental and control. The intervention program consisted of two sessions per week spanning 20 weeks, with each session lasting 60 minutes. The exercise intensity ranged from 65% to 85% of HRmax and included various activities such as aerobics, weight exercises, dumbbell routines, and hiking. Measurements were taken at both the commencement and conclusion of the organized physical activity program. Specialized equipment, including a wall-mounted stadiometer, precision scales, a unique tape measure, an automated sphygmomanometer, and the DXA machine, was employed for data collection. Data analysis involved ANOVA variance analyses, descriptive statistics, and T-Tests utilizing the SPSS software. The results revealed a statistically significant primary influence attributed to the 'measurement' factor (p&lt;.001) across all health indicators, except for total BMD and total BMC, when comparing the experimental and control groups. In terms of gender disparities, men exhibited higher measurements in body mass, fat-free mass, belly size, and blood pressure, while women displayed greater fat mass and total body fat. To conclude, the intervention program had a positive impact on improving the health indicators of adult SCS students. Future research endeavors should explore the implementation of Physical Activity programs in other SCSs throughout Greece. Keywords: Adult Students; Health Indicators; Organized Physical Activity; Second Chance Schools

Quantifying the experiences of Black and Dual Heritage young people in a forensic child and adolescent mental health service.

Young people from racialised backgrounds are overrepresented in justice services. This study explored differences in community support offered to young people from racialised groups referred to a forensic child and adolescent mental health service. We compared support offered to 427 young people, according to five ethnic groups. Over 20% of young people referred were Black (compared with 14% of the local population) and 15.8% were Dual White and Black Heritage (compared with 4% of the local population). Odds ratios showed that Black and Dual Heritage groups were more frequently involved with youth offending services (Black: 2.59, Dual Heritage: 2.88), gangs services (Black: 4.31, Dual Heritage: 7.13) and have a national referral mechanism (Black: 3.61, Dual Heritage: 4.01) than their White peers, but were less often in mainstream education compared with their Asian peers (Black: 0.26, Dual Heritage: 0.29). Black (odds ratio 0.35) and Dual Heritage (odds ratio 0.40) young people were less frequently diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder than their White peers. Those from Black and Dual Heritage backgrounds were disproportionately disadvantaged.

Contemporary problems of settlement in the ethnic plain villages of the northwestern regions of Azerbaijan (on the example of the Balakan administrative district)

The geographical position of the region, ethnic composition, acceleration of the process of polarization among rural settlements, and other factors increase the relevance of the research. The subject of the research is the study of rural settlement problems, and the object of the research is the villages and ethnic minorities of the Balakan district. The study aims to reveal the modern problems of the settlement of ethnic minorities and the formation of rural agglomerations, to study the causes of the emptying of some villages, and to prepare a rural development model to prevent the problems. To conduct research, the literature and statistical materials were analyzed, as well as cartographic, comparative analysis, SWOT, and modelling methods were used. Moreover, a field investigation was conducted in the research area. It was revealed that although a majority of the rural population settles in villages with a high demographic potential, villages with a weak demographic potential, due to their higher number, play a major role in the settlement system. Moreover, some villages form rural agglomerations, while some of them lose their population due to socioeconomic challenges. Due to the intense migration processes, some villages have turned into endangered villages (Mazimustu, Goyrujuluk), and even some villages are on the brink of extinction (Bayrambina, Mazimchay, Abjit). Studying the regulation of rural settlement in the region is of practical importance in terms of ensuring the equal development of the region, ensuring the security of the borders, and protecting ethnic minorities. However, there is still a need for serious research in this field.

Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and Systems of Ethnic Farmers Located at Different Altitudinal Locations along Agno River, Philippines

Ethnic farming communities located at different altitudinal locations in Agno River, Philippines face climate stressors that threaten their agricultural production. This paper determined the climate stressors experienced in the watersheds, investigated and assessed the exposures to climate stressors, and identified the ethnic affiliations of the communities, their farming practices and indigenous knowledge and systems to cope with the climate stressors. Data were gathered using pre-tested questionnaires during one-on-one interviews, focused group discussions and key informant interviews. Secondary data were likewise consulted. Majority of the communities’ ethnic affiliations are Karao, Ibaloi and Kalanguya. Farming techniques practiced include crop rotation and multicropping. The percentage of farmers in Ambuklao watershed doing it is twice as high as in both San Roque and Binga watersheds. Almost all farmers in Ambuklao do crop rotation, but apparently no one practices multicropping. Most farmers in Ambuklao plant high-value vegetables. Crop rotation is also done in San Roque and Binga where multi-cropping is also practiced. The elevational differences of the three watersheds dictate the choice of farming systems. Farm areas in Ambuklao are mostly located at higher slopes and ridges where flooding as a mean of watering is not possible. The practice of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) in farming includes uma (kaingin), burning and applying the ash as fertilizer, natural composting, use of scarecrows and aduyon. Majority of the respondents indicated using indigenous farming systems or techniques. This did not significantly differ from the 49% who said they do not do so.

Migration and Settlement of Ethnic Communities in Relation to Land Question in Laikipia County, Kenya

Laikipia County experienced the land question arising from migration and settlement that stretched over a century. In spite of intervention measures the problem escalated. This study, therefore, sought to establish why migration and settlement of the ethnic communities generated the land question in Laikipia County. The study was hinged on the instrumentalism and articulation of modes of production theories, using the historical research design. The study established that pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial migrations and settlements of the Pokot, Tugen, Ndorobo, Maasai, Somali, Kisii, Meru, Agikuyu, Europeans and Samburu led to the rise of the land question in Laikipia County. The study recommends that both the Laikipia County assembly and Kenyan national assembly should enact laws that protect pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial land holding rights. This will fix the land question among the ethnic groups residing in Laikipia County.

Girmitiya nationalism: Lived cultures and diasporic bonding in a plural society

AbstractNationalism studies tend to focus on a relatively closed and abstract nation. This paper addresses these features by analysing the case of Girmitiya nationalism, a nationalism in the Indian diaspora that broadens the exclusive focus on the nation. It introduces the concept of lived culture that makes the nationalism of an ethnic diaspora community concrete and specifies the interaction between global forces and local life. Using data obtained as a member of the studied ethnic community and deploying additional concepts such as ethnogenesis, Creole hegemonic nationalism, ethnification, diaspora bonding and Girmitiya ideology, the paper demonstrates the usefulness of the concept of lived culture. The concept of lived culture thus discloses the specificities of Girmitiya nationalism, while countervailing the tendency to restrict the focus on the nation and offering a route to broaden the focus.

Intergroup variability of the khakas based on non-metric cranial traits data

Introduction. The formation of the gene pool of modern Khakas people occurred through the interaction of various groups of ancient inhabitants of the Minusinsk Basin. This article is focused on the inter-group analysis of craniological series representing different Khakassian subethnic groups. Materials and Methods. The cranial series of the Kachins, Koibals, Sagais, and Beltirs was studied using the battery of 36 cranial non-metric characteristics. The obtained data was compared with data on other populations of Southern and Western Siberia: Shors, Tuvans, Telengits, Selkups, Khants, and Mansis. The analysis of the biological diversity of populations was carried out using Smith's mean measure of divergence (MMD) followed by multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis. Results. The Kachins are the most distant from the other Khakas subethnic groups, forming a cluster with the Telengits and Tuvans. The Koibals and Beltirs were positioned quite close to the Shors. The Sagais occupied a separate position in the Khakas cluster, presumably due to a greater proportion of Europoid admixture compared to other Khakas groups. The pooled Khakas sample shares similar cranial non-metric characteristics with Turkic-speaking ethnic groups of Southern Siberia: Shors, Telengits, and Tuvans. Discussion. The nature of phenetic differentiation of the Khakas sub-ethnic groups presumably reveals their complex population history. The position of the Kachins outside the Khakas cluster based on non-metric traits resulted from specificity of their phenofund, which is also supported by molecular genetic data. The similarity in the phenofund of the Khakas groups to those of the Tuvans and Telengits may result from gene flow between Khakas populations and the peoples of Southern Siberia or/and from their common episodes in their ethnogenesis. The similarity between pooled Khakassian sample and the Shors presumably suggests involvement of common genetic components in the gene pools of these peoples, which is consistent with molecular genetic data. Conclusion. The correspondence of the obtained results with genetic data suggests the possibility of using cranial non-metric traits to identify genetic relationships between ancient populations in the absence of direct genetic information.