Ethnic Self-identification Research Articles

Perceived environment of ethnic diversity as a determinant of organisational identification in the public sector

PurposeAs public sector managers implement the policy of employing people that broadly reflects the social make up of a local society, there is a need to ensure that employees have a positive perception of ethnic diversity. Perceived environment of ethnic diversity (PEED) is conceptualised as employees’ view of how they are treated at work irrespective of where they come from. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between PEED and organisational identification (OID).Design/methodology/approachData were collected by means of a survey of 908 employees from four public sector organisations in a state in Nigeria. Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsFindings showed that OID may be fostered among multi-ethnic employees through the following framework: first, PEED had a direct relationship with OID and support was found, which was explained by the mediating role of co-worker social support (CWSS). Second, the effect of CWSS mediation was moderated by employees’ ethnic self-identification (ESI) such that those with strong ESI experienced lower OID.Practical implicationsAs employee compositions in organisations increase in diversity, CWSS is presented in this study as a veritable measure for managers to foster OID.Originality/valueThis study is novel as it is one of the first to examine the mechanisms for linking PEED to OID through mediating effect of CWSS at different levels of ESI. Other contributions are discussed in detail in the study.

Wandering lives: a case study of ethnic and cultural selfidentification discourses of two adult cross-cultural kids from a family of Transylvanian Saxons

Abstract The paper presents a case study of two adult crosscultural kids (ACCK’s) from a family of Saxons that emigrated from Romania during communist period. They had what we call a wandering life before resettling as adults in Romania. The objective of the paper is to present and analyse how the ethnic and cultural selfidentification discourse of the two is constructed and its modulations between a primordial stance and a contextual one.

Роль етнічності у формуванні якості життя населення

The study is devoted to the theoretical generalization of ethnic characteristics of the populationinfluence of on the of life. Quality of life is a complex, multidimensional that combines objective living conditions with the subjective perception of living standards. The dynamism and complexity of the quality of life phenomenon requires adherence to the principles of multilateralism and taking into account the specificity of the object of study in assessing. Therefore, the article proves the needof researching the of life in the ethnic dimension. The article examines scientific studies that confirms the dependence of of life on ethnicity-related characteristics of the population. The that regulates the set of characteristics of an ethnos is ethnic identity. Ethnic identity components (behavior, ideal, ethnic self-identification, sense of belonging, pride and affirmation, knowledge of history and traditions, value orientations such as individualism or collectivism, etc.) are considered in the article as possible channels of influence on of life. Thus, the components of ethnic identity can influence both the level of importance of certain spheres of life and the desire to increase that level. At the same time, there is a perception of an ethnic group in another part of society that is often associated with biased attitudes and ethnic stereotypes. They are threatening phenomena and can serve as a basis for justifying discrimination on ethnic (racial, cultural) grounds. These scientific findings indicate a statistically significant impact of certain vision channels on of life. Studies of behavioral channels that shape the socio-economic status of an ethnic group gave mixed results. Accordingly, it is argued that the socio-economic behavior of particular ethnic groups is conditioned by a specific combination of ethnic identity components. This specificity is often associated with ethnic minorities, high levels of isolation of ethnic groups, discrimination (racial, ethnic) and other conditions under which the values of the group can have a significant impact on the life of its members.

A Data Analysis of Social Characteristics of Basic and Secondary Education Students in Ecuador

The objective of the study is to examine the social profile of Basic and Secondary Education students in Ecuador by means of a statistical analysis of this sector of the Ecuadorian population based on data from the National Survey of Employment, Unemployment and Underemployment from 2015. The variables investigated were: area, sex, age, language spoken, ethnic self-identification, condition of activity and inactivity, school enrollment, use of smartphone, use of computer during the last months, use of internet during the last 12 months, natural region, income poverty, occupational group and the level of happiness at work. The results of the study may be used as a tool for the development of the Basic and Secondary Education studies in Ecuador in accordance with the social profile and the needs of the students in the country.

Co-worker social support and organisational identification: does ethnic self-identification matter?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of socially supportive relationships between co-workers in fostering organisational identification (OID). Adopting a Social Identity Theory perspective, the study investigates how employees’ ethnic self-identification (ESI) may influence co-worker social support (CWSS)–OID relationship depending on whether they are indigenes or non-indigenes.Design/methodology/approachRegression analysis was used to examine the relationship between CWSS (independent variable) and OID (dependent variable) at different levels of ESI (moderator variable). Data were collected from 1,525 employees from public and private employers in Nigeria.FindingsFindings supported a positive relationship between CWSS and OID that is moderated by an employee’s ESI. Specifically, the study finds that ESI matters in the strength of CWSS–OID relationship such that the relationship is weaker for indigenes compared to non-indigenes.Practical implicationsAs organisations develop policies that increase the representation of various ethnic groups or other forms of social identities at work, there is need to create an environment that fosters socially supportive relationships among co-workers.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by adding a level of boundary conditions to the overall findings that workplace relationships are important for OID. The study also addresses how employees of different ethnic groups are influenced by the ethnicity of the context prevailing where an organisation is located.

Intercultural Communication in the North Caucasus: Historical Aspect

The article deals with the problems of intercultural communication in the North Caucasus. North Caucasus is considered as a region where there is a sharp contrast between own and others cultural traditions. We focused on the process of formation of the historical consciousness of the mountain peoples as a factor determining ethnic self-awareness, and thereby cultural and civilizational self-identification. We conducted the investigation of intercultural communication in this region which helps to show how mechanisms of intercultural communication and their consequences were implemented at various stages, including a dialogue with Russian culture over the past 200 years. We made the conclusion that the crisis of Russian identity actualized the ethnic, religious, North Caucasian and Caucasian self-identification of mountain peoples, moreover, in the civilizational and cultural opposition to Russia and Russians proper. In the North Caucasus, as in other societies, in times of crisis and disintegration processes, an archaic syndrome manifests itself, that is, a revival of a complex of archaic phenomena, ideas, stereotypes, and norms of behavior, blurring or narrowing of the sphere of rational perception of the surrounding reality, mythological thinking is being strengthened. If such views are preserved in the historical and national self-consciousness of the mountain peoples, the possibility of a polylogue and the interaction of various cultures in the region will be blocked for a long time.

Caucasian Women’s Inner World Of Emotional Experience

Feminine space research in North Caucasian cultures brought the author to raising a question of sexual interrelations as a cornerstone of social constructs that determine power and obedience, cooperation and mutual suppression, behavioural latitude and individual self-image. The research focuses on Adyghe (Kabardians, Cherkess, and Adygeans), inhabitants of central and western areas of the North Caucasus who are bound together with common language, history, culture, and ethnic self-identification. The methodological framework is based on Pushkareva’s method; it presupposes “considering not only gender socio-historical phenomena, but also gender-related social reality with its mutations over space and time.” Analysis of field materials shed the light to Adyghe sexual history from prehistoric to modern-day patterns. The research contributes to adjustments in comprehending commonplace gender relations and discovers cultural norms that simultaneously restrict public acts of intimacy and empower women with relatively free mentality.

The ethnic-cultural space of modern Karachay-Balkar poetry

The article is devoted to the problems of ethnic-cultural perceptions in contemporary Karachay-Balkar poetry. It defines criteria for shaping an ethnic and civic self-identity. The paper discusses how cultural globalization affects the ideology of the Karachay-Balkar people. In a detailed analysis of works by N. Bayramkulov and A. Bakkuev, two poets of a younger generation, the author argues that fundamental values and stereotypes take priority in the poetic mentality of younger artists. Closely examining the themes of the poets’ works – philosophy, religion, history, society and politics – the author specially describes the way each poet deals with the nation’s artistic memory. Another focus is on the analysis of poetics. It is suggested that the young poets’ creative method is found at convergence of realism and mythopoeia. Their poetry centers around the mythical images of stone, water, mountains, and ‘taulu’ (‘a man of the mountains’).

Problem of National Identity and Ways of its Resolution in Works of Adyghe and Karachay-Balkarian Authors

In modern times humanity is facing a crisis in many spheres, the spiritual and moral one being most urgent. Resort to the ethnocultural tradition based on the ethical-aesthetic ideas, local customary practices and traditional (adat) laws seems most effective to overcome the crisis phenomena. In this connection, the preservation of ethnocultural identity comes to the fore. The leading feature of modern literature is the interest to ethnic self-identity as a defensive reaction to globalization and leveling of the individual’s self-categorization. Emotive prose and poetry by Adyghe and Karachay-Balkarian authors have been analyzed in the article with the view of determining the forms of manifestation of the heroes’ ethnic identity, establishing the role of traditional concepts and archetypical ideas in the formation of the ethnic self-categorization and the development of their worldview.

Spatial features of changing ethnic self-identification of US residents of European origin

The article is devoted to the analysis of the location of the main ethnic groups of European origin in the United States. Being immigrants descendants, the US population has a different ethnic origin. To date, the majority of US residents are the descendants of European immigrants. On the example of the five most numerous ethnic groups of Americans of European origin — the British, Germans, Irish, French, Italians — the spatial changes of their distribution on the US territory in the period from 1980 to 2015 are considered. The ethnic assimilation processes of various ethnic groups in the American «melting pot» occur with different intensity. But the ethnic identity changing rate depends not only on a particular ethnic group membership, but also on the characteristics of its spatial localization. Among the five ethnic groups in question, over the past 35 years, the number of Americans of English and French origin has fallen most dramatically. The number of «Italians» over the same period has increased by more than 40 %. The appearance in 1990 in the US Census Bureau statistic data a new ethnic category — «Americans», which has a distinct spatial localization, has become an important indicator of the European ethnic groups assimilation process speed and direction in the United States.

The impact of adolescents' racial and ethnic self-identity on hope.

The two components of hope (i.e., hope-agency defined as the ability to envision and believe in one's ability to achieve goals; hope-pathway defined as belief in one's ability to devise strategies to achieve one's goals) propel adolescents toward well-being, academic achievement and personal fulfillment. This study compares levels of hope and its components, for different groups of immigrant and ethnic non-immigrant youths, while adjusting for and measuring the impact of racism, school and family characteristics, and the youth's unique individual attributes. Using a community-based participatory research approach and a cross-sectional study design, data were collected from immigrant and non-immigrant youth (n=567) between May 2015 and December 2015 at three Israeli public high schools. The study included five groups of youth based on their self-descriptions: Ethiopian immigrant (n=48), Russian immigrant (n=145), Israeli-born Mizrachi/Sephardi (n=59), Israeli-born Ashkenazi (n=49), or Israeli-born Unspecified (n=266). Linear regression models showed that Ethiopian immigrant youth, compared to Russian immigrant youth and all Israeli-born groups of youth, had significantly lower hope-agency, hope-pathway and overall hope. However, an interaction effect between racism and ethnicity indicated that adolescents who perceived racism and self-identified as Ethiopian had higher hope-agency, hope-pathway and overall hope. This effect was not found with Russian immigrant or Israeli-born youth. Immigrants of color compared to other immigrants and ethnicities have less overall hope; but those who acknowledge racism feel more control over their future (hope-agency), able to devise strategies to surmount barriers blocking goals (hope-pathway), and have greater overall hope.

1620-P: Trends in Cannabis Use among Patients with Diabetes—The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2005-2017

Cannabis legalization for medical and recreational uses has increased, driven by the more permissive attitudes towards cannabis. Potential beneficial effects of cannabinoids have been reported in studies of diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy. Higher prevalence of diabetic ketoacidosis, however, was reported in type 1 diabetes patients who use cannabis. Whether cannabis use has changed over time among patients with diabetes is unknown. Here, we estimate the prevalence of cannabis use among participants with diabetes in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH, 2005-2017), a large nationally representative sample of the United States non-institutionalized population aged 12 years and older. Audio computer-assisted self-interview system (ACASI) assessed cannabis use in the participant residence. During the ACASI, participants were asked whether a doctor or health care professional had ever told them that they had diabetes. The number of NSDUH participants with diabetes ranged from 1537 (weighted % = 6.7) in 2005 to 2919 (9.3%) in 2017. The prevalence of past 30-day cannabis use among diabetes patients was 1.7% (95% CI = 1.1, 2.6) in 2005, increasing to 4.8% (95% CI = 3.8, 6.0) in 2017. Similarly, past 12-month use has increased from 2005 to 2017. This increasing trend is observed across age, sex, ethnic self-identification and education subgroups, and in states with or without medical cannabis laws. In summary, cannabis use has increased ∼180% in NSDUH participants with diabetes from 2005 to 2017. Physicians should educate patients on cannabis use, including its effects on appetite and gastric emptying, and its effect on perception and treatment adherence, which can be crucial in insulin-dependent diabetes. Additional research is also needed to understand the effect of cannabis on glucose metabolism and diabetes complications. Disclosure O. Alshaarawy: None. Funding National Center of Complementary and Integrative Health (R00AT009156); Michigan State University

Mixed Identity. Some Theoretical Aspects of Research on Eastern Carpathian Border Area

The paper deals with relationship between Slovak and Ukrainian literatures and cultures of the 19th and 20th centuries in the Eastern Carpathian border area. The author considers this particularly multiethnic region as one of the relatively independent cultural areas of the Central Europe. The Slovak literature since the mid-19th century shows this space as a heterotopia. Narrative perspectives of a stranger, outcast, migrant in combination with the themes of border and conflict between local and strangers are characteristic for the literary image of the Eastern Carpathian border area in the 20th century.
 The paper explores the issue of parallel processes of ‘national revival’ (such as Slovak, Ruthenian, Ukrainian, Hungarian) in the ethnically heterogeneous area of eastern Slovakia where the process of cultural and ethnic self-identification followed a much more complex trajectory compared to the ‘core’ areas inhabited by the respective ethnic groups. The Slavonic ethnic groups failed to conclude this process in the course of the 19th century or, indeed, even in the first half of the 20th century. Following the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the establishment of Czechoslovakia, the new state’s liberal national policies encouraged greater competition between certain cultural and linguistic orientations among the inhabitants of eastern Slovakia (pro-Ukrainian, pro-Russian and pro-Ruthenian orientation). This situation was also reflected in works of Slovak and especially Czech literature. Slovak-Ukrainian cultural contacts are currently receiving many new ideas and their research can be based on theoretical background of postcolonialism, selfcolonization theory and geopoetics.

Somatization and Coping in Ethnic Minority Recruits.

Military service can have beneficial social effects on minorities. However, minority groups are also often at greater risk of somatizing psychological distress and coping maladaptively. In military training this would result in lower mental health of minorities and contribute to higher drop-out rates. We thus examined if recruits with different ethnocultural backgrounds report different somatization levels and coping styles. Seven hundred and forty male recruits of the Swiss Armed Forces aged 18-26 took part in a cross-sectional study during basic training. Participants filled out self-rating questionnaires covering sociodemographics, somatization (SCL-90-R), coping styles (INCOPE-2), and social support (F-SozU). The recruits' ethnic self-identification was used to compare three groups: native Swiss (89%); Turkish or Balkan minority (5%); heterogeneous ethnic minority (6%). Group differences in somatization scores were tested with a Kruskal-Wallis test; group differences in coping styles were tested with a multivariate ANCOVA, controlling for the level of social support experienced. Recruits from the heterogeneous ethnic minority group reported significantly greater levels of somatization than their native Swiss comrades. Coping styles did not differ between the three ethnic groups, but higher levels of social support were associated with better coping. Military doctors ought to place importance on the differential diagnosis of medically unexplained physical symptoms in ethnic minority recruits. This would contribute to minimize the risk of misdiagnosis. Military mental health professionals who counsel recruits reporting somatic symptoms are advised to be sensitized to an ethnic minority status. Physical complaints could mask affective problems or be part of an adjustment disorder symptomatology.

Identity construction among twice-minority immigrants: a comparative study of Korean-Chinese and Uyghurs in the United States

ABSTRACT ‘Twice-minority’ immigrants, immigrants who are ethnic minorities in both their home country and country of destination, may face ambiguity and multiple options in their ethnic self-identification in the host society. This paper investigates the dynamics in the identity construction among such groups. My data comes from in-depth interviews with 40 recent immigrants in the United States from two minority ethnic groups in China: Korean-Chinese and Uyghur. I find that these two groups’ perceived phenotypical and cultural difference from (or similarity to) the majority Han ethnic group in China, experiences of prejudice in China, and pre-existing transnational ethnic ties influence the identity dynamics in their interactions with different groups in the U.S. Both Korean-Chinese and Uyghur immigrants experience a mix of pulling and pushing forces towards identities associated with different proximal host groups in these interactions, but Uyghur immigrants’ identity options are constrained by their phenotypical distinctness from the Han Chinese. Both groups maintain their distinct ethnic identity in the host society, but they find different new bases for their twice-minority identity. The article shows how everyday interactions with multiple ethnic audiences shape possibilities of identity and ethnicisation and helps us better understand ethnic identity and transnational movement of ethnic schemas.

Autoidentyfikacja etniczna i językowa ukraińskojęzycznych mieszkańców Podlasia. Na podstawie badań językoznawczych

The aim of the article is to analyze the ethnic and linguistic identification of the Ukrainian-speaking population in the south-eastern part of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. This region is inhabited by the population of the Orthodox denomination, for whom the language spoken at home is Ukrainian (dialect). The article describes the ethnic and linguistic self-identifications of the older generation of the Podlasie residents. The author is interested in how the Ukrainian-speaking residents identify their own and strangers, how they are identified by strangers: the Polish-speaking majority and Belarusian-speaking minority, and how they themselves identify these groups of strangers and whether these identifications coincide. The material basis for the analyses is dialectological research carried out in Podlasie region.

World Ukraine heritage as a social system

The purpose of the article is to make a scientific analysis of world Ukrainian society as a social system, first of all, its structure, which reflects the nature and features of Ukrainian presence in the modern world. Methodology . To realize the purpose of the study, methods were used: historical (to find out the peculiarities of the development of world Ukraine heritage in time and spread); structural-functional (for the disclosure of the structure of world Ukrainian heritage and the functions of its elements in the implementation of identification practices by different segments of Ukrainian society); comparative (for revealing and correlation of levels of preservation of ethnic identity with each of the main elements of the structure of world Ukrainian heritage); systematic (for the analysis of world Ukrainian heritage as a complex, ordered integrated system consisting of several subsystems that differ in geographical location and levels of preservation of ethnic identity, but have a single ethnic nature and common socio-cultural standards). The novelty of the results obtained is that this study is one of the first attempts to present a scientific picture of world Ukrainian heritage as a social system, to characterize its structure from the point of view of the geographical location of its subsystems and levels of preservation of their Ukrainian identity. Conclusions Despite its structural complexity, the worldly Ukrainians have significant differences in the levels of ethnic self-identification, as well as in traditions and culture between different territorial branches of the Ukrainian ethnic group, social origin, status, education and value orientations of its representatives, is a fairly balanced and integral social system that finds , in particular, their reflection in certain unifying interests, aspirations and internal consolidation of Ukrainians in Ukraine and Ukrainians in the diaspora.

Ukrainian and Russian organizations in Sweden and the conflict “back home”

Abstract This paper investigates whether the Maidan Revolution in Kyiv (late 2013–early 2014) and the ongoing armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine (early 2014) have been reflected in the collaboration networks of Ukrainian and Russian organizations in Sweden between 2013 and 2016. I use ERG models to account for the probabilities of ties between the organizations, depending on the network structure and individual attributes such as ethnic identification and the choice of a side to support in the conflict. Results suggest that it is support for a certain side in the conflict, and not ethnic self-identification, which drives the clustering of the networks during the most violent period.

The Structure and Typology of the Ethnic Identity of Members of Interethnic and Mono-ethnic Families (a comparative analysis)

This article is devoted to a comparative analysis of ethnic identity in interethnic and mono-ethnic families on the example of St. Petersburg, and is based on data from a sociological survey conducted in 2017. During the study, members of 106 interethnic families were interviewed and 45 mono-ethnic families were analyzed as a control group. The main conclusions of the study include the following. In interethnic families ethnic identity is established, in the case of a mono-ethnic identity it coincides with the identity of mothers, mostly Russians. In general, the influence of mothers on the ethnic self-identification of children is stronger than the impact of fathers. This is due to the dominance of maternal socialization, inherent in the national tradition, and also because most Russian mothers bring up their children in the Russian cultural environment. The attitude towards their ethnic identity in children is more indifferent compared to the sense of “national pride” inherent in most parents. For all categories of the sample, with the exception of fathers from interethnic families, cultural signs of self-identification are more important than others. Fathers of different cultures allot special importance to blood kinship. The main features of ethnic consolidation for all survey participants are cultural traditions and the native language. National identity for all survey participants, except for “non-Russian” fathers, prevails over ethnic self-determination. Ethnic prejudices dominate over religious prejudices. In comparison to Christians, Muslims are more rejecting. The presence of ethnic prejudice is not connected with membership in an interethnic or mono-ethnic family, and is most likely due to the personal attitudes of the respondents.

Experience of Preservation of Traditional Culture and Interaction between Society and State in National Parks of Austria (by Example of National Park “Hohe Tauern”)

On the example of the National Park “Hohe Tauern” some aspects of preservation of traditional culture in national parks of Austria are considered. The raised problem is the subject of interdisciplinary research: history, ethnocultural studies, ethnological regional studies, sociology. The relevance of the study is determined by the risks of loss of identity for a number of ethnic groups, the need to protect, preserve and present their traditional culture. Special attention is paid to the issues of correlation and revival of traditional knowledge, appeal to ethnic self-identification, obtaining economic benefits. The author traces the ways of solving these problems on the basis of the analysis of the experience gained in Austria in the organization of interaction between the population living in the national park, its management, the public and public authorities through the choice of special social technologies, including “folklorism.” Special attention is paid to the orientation of the country’s economy to increase the tourist flow. On the basis of the analysis of the problems the author came to a conclusion that the activities of the National Park “Hohe Tauern” most fully reflects the principles laid down by the Alpine Convention aimed at the development of recreational potential of the territory due to the disclosure of its historical and cultural potential. The experience of the National Park “Hohe Tauern” reflects the effectiveness of international legal documents in the field of sustainable long-term development at the micro level.