Ethnic Identity Research Articles

The living conditions of Syrian refugee women in Zaatari camp

This paper highlights the living conditions of refugee women in Zaatari camp and how to deal with migrants as others. This process involves differentiating between 'us' and 'others' through social power dynamics Gayatai (JAMA 1: 128–151, 1985), often based on ethnic, religious, or cultural identities Siouti (JAMA 107–120, 2022). The research examines the Zaatari refugee camp and its urban development, consisting of a set of diverse institutions that overlap and intertwine to manage the camp and manage daily life within the camp. These institutions work together to meet the needs of refugees, making the camps a rich environment for study from a social and cultural perspective. However, the research shows that refugee camps such as Zaatari are used as a means of excluding refugees to geographically marginalized areas, reflecting their lack of basic infrastructure and civil services. The paper highlights the suffering of Syrian women in Zaatari camp, who are exposed to multiple health, psychological, economic and social problems. These challenges include scarcity of resources and difficulty in accessing them, poor economic and social conditions due to living in an environment and surroundings that lack infrastructure and due to living in caravans that do not have the basic necessities of life that protect them from cold and heat, in addition to the lack of privacy, in addition to many problems facing women in the camp such as violence and sexual violence due to the lack of security and other reasons that this paper shows.

Cultural identity, foreign language peace of mind, motivation for language learning, and perceived Arabic language proficiency of international students in Saudi Arabia: does age matter?

ABSTRACT This study investigates how motivation for language learning mediates the effects of cultural identity (ethnic and Saudi) and foreign language peace of mind on perceived Arabic proficiency among international students in Saudi Arabia. It also examines age differences in these relationships. A survey of 415 international students at Saudi universities was analysed using Partial Least Squares Multi-Group Analysis. Cultural ethnic identity, Saudi identity, and language peace of mind positively influenced perceived Arabic proficiency, with motivation mediating these effects. Age differences were found – ethnic identity and language peace of mind effects on motivation and proficiency were weaker for older students, while Saudi identity's effect on proficiency was stronger. Findings suggest fostering cultural inclusivity, addressing language anxieties, enhancing motivation through relevant curricula/activities, and tailoring approaches for different age groups to improve language education for international students.

The Malay-Muslim Identity and the Public Roles of Non-Muslims: A Social Identity Approach.

Malays are increasingly referring to themselves as Muslims (religious identity) rather than Malay (ethnic identity). Despite the importance of their religious identity in understanding themselves, it is also significant in intergroup relations with others in Malaysia. This study identified the components of Malay-Muslim identity social-psychologically and examined their influences on non-Muslim public roles. Previous studies have not considered Malay-Muslim identity from an approach to social identity. The study involved questionnaire surveys. The data collected were analysed using statistical analysis. The results indicate that the salient identity of Malay is Malay-Muslim, and the Malay religious identity displays substantial bias towards non-Muslims, especially when perceiving that nonMuslims should not participate in government employment and typically hold prominent positions. These responses, from the perspective of social identity, are due to in-group identification which creates differentiation or boundary between Muslims and non-Muslims. The study concludes that prejudicial acts towards non-Muslims are mainly due to religious identity which represented one of the main influences for the exclusion of non-Muslims in public roles. The study proposes that the communities should emphasise and promote Malaysian identity instead of religious identity because religious identity demonstrates prejudice and bias.

The brick in the ballot box: the relative influence of democratic discontent and identity politics in the 2024 elections in South Africa

ABSTRACT During the 2024 National and Provincial Elections, the newly established uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) performed unexpectedly well, leading to a national coalition and raising concerns about a rise in ethnic identity in electoral politics. This article explores the relationship between electoral outcomes, attitudes toward democracy, and identity politics (class, race, and ethnicity), using South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS) data combined with electoral results at voting district level. It investigates whether voter dissatisfaction with the status quo influenced MKP support as a form of protest vote, or if the party’s success was more reflective of identity politics. Regression analysis shows that MKP support was most strongly predicted by ethno-racial identity and provincial residence. Regime evaluation effects on MKP support, such as political trust and satisfaction with democracy, lost significance once identity and geography were considered. This suggests the MKP's electoral success was driven more by identity-based mobilisation than protest sentiment.

Empowering Women: A Human Rights Perspective on Gender Equality in Northeast India

Empowering women in Northeast India is crucial to achieving gender equality and realizing human rights. This region, characterized by its ethnic diversity and unique socio-cultural fabric, presents both challenges and opportunities in addressing gender disparities. Despite remarkable strides made in education and social spheres, women in Northeast India continue to face issues such as limited access to resources, violence, discrimination, and socio-economic exclusion. From a human rights perspective, this paper examines the role of empowerment in advancing gender equality in the region, emphasizing legal reforms, education, economic participation, and political representation. The intersectionality of gender, ethnicity, and regional identity is explored to understand the unique challenges women in this area face. By integrating human rights principles with local cultural contexts, the paper calls for a collaborative approach between state and non-state actors to build a more inclusive society where women’s rights are fully realized and protected.

Association Between Disability and Social Support and Cultural Affiliation Among American Indian Older Adults in New York State.

Although American Indian and Alaska Native people make up less than 2% of the US population, they are disproportionally affected by adverse health outcomes, including disabilities. The Indigenous community of the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne has faced significant environmental contamination since the 1970s, resulting from operations of three aluminum foundries near the community. The aim of this study was to explore the potentially moderating effects of social support and cultural identity on disability, taking into account age, sex, and health comorbidities among 119 Akwesasne Mohawk adults. We used the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHO-DAS II) to measure disability, the Duke University Social Support Scale with Likert-type responses to quantify social support, and the Orthogonal Ethnic Identification Scale to calculate cultural affiliation. We found that overall social support was significantly negatively associated with disability related to self-care (Relative Risk (RR) = 0.96, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.93, 1.00). Both family support (RR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.94, 0.99) and non-family support (RR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.94, 1.00) were negatively associated with disabilities that prevent full participation in society. Cultural affiliation to either the white culture or the Mohawk culture was not significantly associated with disability. Although preliminary, our findings may help inform clinicians advising American Indians and Alaska Natives with disabilities on helpful interventions to provide greater social support. This may in turn improve the quality of life of indigenous communities facing a high prevalence of disability.

Education-related cognitive labour in Chinese immigrant families

ABSTRACT While the cognitive dimension of family work has received considerable scholarly attention, one of the aspects unaccounted for is couples’ mental efforts in promoting children’s social and intellectual development, referred to as education-related cognitive labour in this study. Using 40 in-depth interviews with members of 20 Chinese immigrant couples in Ireland, I identify four interacting but distinct forms of education-related cognitive labour: strategizing; learning and teaching; disciplining; and assessing. Though these work are perceptible and acknowledged between the spouses, the labourer experiences little satisfaction from task accomplishment. Besides, worry is embedded in those thinking activities, which derives from Chinese immigrants’ internalized insecurities about their class and ethnic identities as well as uncertainty over the quality of Irish education. The division of education-related cognitive labour is also a gendered phenomenon with mothers carrying a heavier cognitive load and performing more onerous tasks than fathers. In addition, unlike ‘concerted cultivation’, the parenting practices of the sampled Chinese immigrants are ‘instrumental cultivation’. These features are associated with the persistent influence of Confucian culture among Chinese immigrant parents, their migration experiences in Ireland and the conflicting educational values between the first and second-generation immigrants.

Good Tune Theory: An Exploration of LGBTQIA+ Peacebuilding in Bosnia and Herzegovina

ABSTRACTGood tune theory (GTT) is introduced in this article to advocate for the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people in Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) ongoing peacebuilding efforts. GTT emerged from queer research conducted in 2022 and from the experiences and activism of 43 LGBTQIA+ people currently living in Bosnia, particularly in the post‐peace accord context. Primarily, GTT argues that achieving true peace requires constant resistance against dominant systems and advocacy for enforcing and maintaining the promises made in peace agreements, especially for marginalized groups. The proposed theory uses the metaphor of a well‐tuned guitar in which each string represents a critical step in peacebuilding, ultimately leading to the concept of “treasure‐chest peace” (TCP). Using the example of BiH's legal reforms for queer rights, this work introduces TCP, which emphasizes the urgent need to protect and enforce these hard‐won rights, thereby preventing their erosion. GTT further critiques current neoliberal and political peacebuilding frameworks for actively encouraging marginalization through the exclusion of queer rights. The theory also calls for a critical and intersectional approach, emphasizing the idea that queer identities cannot be separated from ethnic identities in the discussion of Bosnia's ethnic divisions. Grounded in an ethnopolitical discourse, GTT explores links with other marginalized ethnic groups, such as the Jewish and Roma communities, and suggests that collective struggles for liberties, human rights, and recognition can foster solidarity and strengthen resistance against a dominant patriarchal society. Therefore, GTT emphasizes queer voices while addressing the challenges and urgent needs of the LGBTQIA+ community in Bosnia.

Changing self-identification among immigrants in the United States

Race and ethnicity are fluid self-identities in the United States, particularly among immigrants, who often redefine their racial and ethnic self-identification as they navigate assimilation and cultural integration. This study uses repeated cross-sectional data from the 2000–2021 American Community Surveys to examine the specific racial and ethnic groups among U.S. immigrants that experienced substantial increases in self-identification. Given that fixed immigration cohorts typically decline in size over time due to emigration and mortality, any observed increase within a cohort indicates individuals reclassifying their reported identity. By controlling for the year of entry into the United States, this analysis employs ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions to estimate annual changes in size and percentage across 46 racial and ethnic categories. The analysis reveals significant increases in identification with multiracial whites and single-race or multiracial “Write-In” groups—categories not printed in the survey questionnaire. These findings underscore the fluidity and complexity of ethnic identities and highlight a shift from broad racial classifications to more specific identities that reflect heritage more accurately. These insights contribute to a broader understanding of identity dynamics and a growing diversity and inclusivity within the U.S. racial and ethnic landscape.

Perceptual body image tasks require ethnically appropriate stimuli.

Perceptual body image tasks require ethnically appropriate stimuli.

"Pero like, you don't speak Spanish?" exploring the role of language fluency on Latine intragroup identity denial, likability, and befriending.

Anecdotal narratives and recent qualitative studies demonstrate that in Latine communities, language proficiency can be a form of gatekeeping (i.e., determining the legitimacy of people's claims to a particular status by unilaterally imposing criteria for acceptance) Latinidad. Latine individuals who are not fluent in Spanish frequently report having their Hispanic/Latine identity questioned and denied. Across two experiments, we investigated whether Latine individuals perceive non-Spanish-speaking Latine individuals as identifying less with their Latine identity. Across two studies, Latine adults (N = 302, Mage = 35.21, SDage = 10.83) were randomly assigned to view one of two Latine individuals' social networking profiles (i.e., fluent in English or fluent in both English and Spanish). Afterward, they reported their perceptions of the targets' perceived ethnic identity, likability, and likelihood that they would befriend the target. Latines, regardless of how strongly they identified as Latine, or if they themselves were bilingual (Study 2), perceived a Latine person only fluent in English as being less likely to identify as Latine and were less likely to want to befriend them (Study 1) compared to a Latine target fluent in both English and Spanish. Latine perceivers use language fluency to challenge the identity of their non-Spanish-speaking Latine counterparts and, in some cases, to make judgments about potential friendship. These findings extend previous research on identity denial and intragroup dynamics by advancing our understanding of the relationship between language fluency, identity denial, and other forms of intragroup rejection within the Latine community. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

The ethnic identity specificity of modern Kazakhstani youth in the context of cultural globalization

The article examines the processes of formation, transformation, and expression of ethnic identity among contemporary Kazakhstani youth under conditions of cultural globalization and identifies the key external and internal factors that support its preservation and development. The research is grounded in a narrative approach to ethnic identity, wherein any phenomenon is conceptualized as “a story of …,” an account (not necessarily phenomenological) of a sequence of events that presupposes a particular mode of interpretation. The study finds that youth in Kazakhstan’s regional areas tend to adhere to a traditionalist model of ethnic identity with a strong emphasis on language as a primary marker whereas urban youth regard ethnic identity merely as one facet of personal identity, freely self-constructed through narrative practices. The principal conclusion is that the specificity of Kazakhstani youth ethnic identity manifests as a complex and ambiguous configuration, characterized by an underlying tension between traditionalist and modernist orientations. The practical significance of this research lies in its potential to inform the integration of case studies and project-based assignments into social studies and humanities curricula, thereby facilitating critical engagement with ethnic identity and its transformation under the influence of global trends.

Ethnic Identity, Academic Self-Concept, and Achievement of Blaan Learners Within the Municipality of Tampakan

The study provided a deeper understanding of how ethnic identity and academic self-concept influence the academic outcomes of Blaan learners, offering implications for educational policies, culturally responsive teaching strategies, and student support programs. This study looked into the relationship of ethnic identity to academic self-concept and achievement of Blaan learners within the Municipality of Tampakan. As a descriptive-correlational study, this considered 241 full-blooded Blaan learners as respondents. The total enumeration was used as a sampling technique, assuming the population of full-blooded Blaan learners was manageable. The data were analyzed using the mean, standard deviation, and Pearson (r) product-moment correlation. Findings revealed that the overall ethnic identity of Blaan learners was established. Generally, the level of their academic self-concept was well-established. The majority of the Blaan learners in the four schools performed very satisfactorily. There was a significant relationship between ethnic identity and academic self-concept. Although ethnic identity was significantly related to academic achievement, the correlation was minimal. This suggests that other factors may have a greater influence. The primary concern regarding the ethnic identity of Blaan learners centers on the balance between cultural preservation and academic integration in a rapidly modernizing society.

The Importance of White Males with Power, Resources, and Influence as Allies Supporting Diversity in the US Workplace

Workplace inequities disproportionately affect African American professionals, with 41% reporting discrimination in hiring, salary negotiations, and promotions due to their racial or ethnic identity. These challenges are further accentuated by gender disparities, as 48% of Black men and 36% of Black women acknowledge experiencing workplace discrimination. Comparatively, smaller proportions of Asian (25%), Hispanic (20%), and White (8%) employees report similar treatment, underscoring the systemic barriers that shape the professional trajectories of marginalized workers in the United States. Addressing these pervasive inequities necessitates a transformative framework rooted in allyship, particularly among White male leaders who occupy positions of significant power and influence. Allyship, a dynamic and relational process, requires intentional advocacy, empathy, and accountability to dismantle exclusionary practices and foster inclusion. This research employs human geography as a metaphor to explore the challenges faced by minority employees in navigating workplaces that often resemble hostile terrains characterized by bias, limited representation, and a lack of psychological safety. The climb to senior leadership for minorities parallels traversing rugged landscapes, requiring resilience and access to critical pathways such as mentorship, sponsorship, and equitable opportunities. As inclusive planners, White male allies can address these systemic barriers by leveraging their privilege to create equitable and supportive environments. Aligning allyship with principles of human geography highlights its potential to address workplace inequities and contributes to broader societal cohesion. This study underscores a pivotal lacuna in the discourse on organizational equity: the insufficient exploration of allyship as a transformative paradigm, particularly when championed by White male leaders who occupy positions of substantial authority and influence.

Simple and organised minority name management in Slovakia

AbstractThe paper deals with the specificities of minority name management in Slovak–Hungarian bilingual environments in Slovakia. It discusses the differences between simple and organised name management, the function of the first name as a marker of ethnic identity, the trends in the choice of first names of Slovakia Hungarians living in a bilingual environment (the most significant minority in Slovakia is made up of ethnic Hungarians), and the work on the forthcoming Hungarian–Slovak first name dictionary. The first name dictionary aims to help Hungarian parents in Slovakia choose their newborn child's first name, promote using mother tongue names, and explain the laws regarding minority personal name rights in Slovakia. Furthermore, the dictionary might serve as a guide for registering first names in the mother tongue and could also be used in the registry offices of Hungarian municipalities in Slovakia. The author also presents the applicability of the topic in university education.

Witchcraft as Ontological Designing: Assemblage and More-Than-Human Relationality in Latin American Brujería (Sixteenth–Eighteenth centuries)

Abstract This article explores witchcraft and brujería as ontological designing and as sites of protected knowledge held in common, the generative nature of which threatened operations of colonization in sixteenth- to eighteenth-century Latin America. Witches, both practitioners of the craft but also those whose marginalization and/or resistance to the onslaught of colonialism, capitalism, and Christianity designated them as witches, employed a more-than-human relationality toward transformative ends. Analysis through a design lens foregrounds these magical and healing practices as assemblages wherein agency is co-created with the more-than-human. One manifestation of this is the mundane to magical fluctuation of witchcraft objects, dependent not only on the will and desire of the practitioner but also on intra-actions with other things or phenomena. This plays out in the context of sixteenth- to eighteenth-century Latin American witch persecutions, where practices were variously gendered, racialized, and tied to ethnic, cultural, and spiritual identities, in a flux of contact and destruction. At times, the persecuted employed brujería as subversive power to negotiate everyday social, political, and economic tensions, particularly as African, African-descended, and Indigenous practitioners who sought to resist hegemonic Western power. They simultaneously protected the knowledge embedded in this relationality while creating a commons of witchcraft practice, accessible within broader communities. This is especially salient for designers who grapple with their relations to the more-than-human and the application of commoning practices to institutionalized and professional design.

Reflecting on power: the inadequacies of small sample size technique through the lens of indigenous health.

One need not look far for an example of epidemiologic research where Indigenous people have either been excluded from analyses or have been aggregated with other racial and ethnic identities as an "Other." Exclusion and aggregation of Indigenous peoples prevents us from adequately characterizing their health in ways that are useful for collective action. In this commentary we describe three distinct, yet related, issues underlying the relationships between statistical power ($\beta \Big)$ and structural and ideational power related to the "small sample size" problem for Indigenous peoples: (i) inadequate data procurement and management processes, (ii) normative methodological practices, and (iii) insufficient scientific communication. In the spirit of disciplinary reflection and self-critique, we identify and review the manifestation of these issues in one author's previously published research. We then discuss and reemphasize important contributing historical and contemporary systems of injustice, and, finally, summarize existing promising research and analytic practices. Given that the tools that address the health of numerically large groups dominate teaching and research spaces, we must move towards a paradigm shift to fully provide equity, justice, and beneficence to Indigenous peoples and other "numerically small" groups.

Naming trends of Lithuanian emigrants in Ireland, Norway, and Germany (1991–2020), with focus on names of Baltic origin

This article examines naming trends among Lithuanian emigrants who give their children Baltic names in Ireland, Norway, and Germany, in comparison to those in the United Kingdom (see Sinkevičiūtė 2024a). The aim is to highlight that the Baltic names given to children in the major countries of emigration from Lithuania between 1991 and 2020 reflect the ethnic identity attributed to them by their parents, and that the tendency among emigrants to choose Baltic names is a regular and stable phenomenon. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of names focuses on the origin and structure of Baltic names to identify their systemic characteristics. This analysis revealed that, across all countries, the most common names are derived from natural phenomena and objects, Lithuanian pagan goddesses and gods, as well as notable historical and legendary figures from Lithuania’s past. Euphony also appears to play a role in naming. Furthermore, the same suffixes recur in names of different origins, and the same shortenings emerge from names sharing common initial elements. These findings complement previous studies on names given to children by emigrants during the same period. In particular, they demonstrate that the behavior of parents across the major countries of emigration from Lithuania is broadly similar when choosing Baltic names for their children (see Sinkevičiūtė 2024a). On the other hand, the study highlighted that Baltic names are more frequently given to girls. This indicates that, from the perspective of origin, girls' names are more Lithuanian than boys' names, as observed in the study of names with diacritic marks, which are more characteristic of girls (see Sinkevičiūtė 2024b).

Uneven Land: Territorial Differentiation in Citizenship Law in India

Citizenship as a legal status grants you membership and therefore access to the territory of the modern nation-state. It therefore follows that within the nation-state, laws granting citizenship should flow uniformly––flooding every square inch of the territory. In India, the Citizenship Act, 1955, governs the acquisition, termination, deprivation, and revocation of citizenship in India, and it applies to the entirety of India’s territory. Unitary citizenship in principle means that at any given point of time, the laws governing the gain and loss of Indian citizenship should apply uniformly across the nation-state’s territory. However, the Citizenship Act does not flow through India’s territory uniformly. On the one hand, the incorporation of territories such as Goa, Sikkim, and Daman and Diu years after India’s independence resulted in not only a delayed application of citizenship rules to these territories but also the creation of state-specific citizenship orders that allowed for the granting of citizenship to persons domiciled in these territories. For these territories, the Citizenship Act floods in at the moment of incorporation. On the other hand, in the state of Assam, the creation of Assam-specific citizenship provisions has created a distinctive (and exclusionary) citizenship regime, where the provisions of the Citizenship Act are refracted at the state boundary, with some rules (such as birthright citizenship) reflected away. This has interesting consequences for a country which has many internal migrants, a quasi-federal form of governance, and which is carved out of a subcontinent where racial, religious, and ethnic identities do not neatly map onto national borders. In this article, I will explore the impact of territorialisation on the experience of Indian citizenship, and how this has created a varied topography of inclusion and exclusion across this nation-state.

Gender and ethnic identity differences in narcissistic personality traits

Narcissistic traits, though often viewed negatively, can serve as protective mechanisms, shielding individuals from harmful self-attributions and enhancing performance in competitive environments. Consequently, different environmental contexts are likely to predict varying levels of narcissism. In mating contexts, for example, these traits may be adaptive, with gender differences expected due to differing reproductive fitness pressures on men and women. The present research investigated gender and ethnic identity differences in narcissistic traits. Across four studies conducted with participants from the United States, men consistently reported higher levels of extraverted and antagonistic narcissism, whereas women exhibited higher levels of neurotic narcissism. Black participants reported higher levels of extraverted and antagonistic narcissism compared to White participants, aligning with prior research that suggests narcissistic traits may act as protective responses to systemic discrimination. An unexpected finding emerged regarding communal narcissism, where Black participants consistently scored higher than their White counterparts, suggesting that marginalized groups may express narcissism through prosocial or communal behaviors. The studies provided evidence supporting the measurement invariance of narcissistic traits across gender and ethnic identity groups. This suggests that the tools and methods used to measure these traits function equivalently across these groups. The findings offer valuable insights into the connections between demographic factors and narcissistic traits, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of how narcissism manifests in different populations.