Multiple Cultural Identities Research Articles

Chinese international graduate students at Canadian universities: language barriers, cultural identities and perceived problems of engagement

ABSTRACT This study investigates the socio-cultural experiences of Chinese international graduate students in a Canadian university. Specifically, this research explores the multiple challenges of their engagement in and out of the classroom as it relates to their language and culture. Qualitative data was collected by interviewing students and staff at the university. The findings show that Chinese international graduate students’ experiences as passive learners and reduced engagement were disadvantaged in Canadian university classrooms. This is because active engagement is preferred in the Western-dominant ideology of student engagement in Canadian graduate schools. Implications from this study suggest that faculty and staff should deconstruct the Western dominant ways of the understanding of student engagement by empowering inclusivity and diversity of multiple languages and cultural identities. The study also provides some practical suggestions for the Chinese international graduate student population to better engage in Canadian graduate institutions and for educators and practitioners to better support Chinese international students in Canadian post-secondary schools.

Balancing out bonding and bridging capital: Social network correlates of multicultural identity configurations among Russian migrants to Canada

ABSTRACT Compartmentalization (keeping identities separate) and integration (creating a single overarching identity) are two ways in which people can manage their multiple cultural identities. This study examined social network correlates of these two configurations among immigrants from the Former Soviet Union to Canada (N= 137). Drawing on sociological theories, we focused on egocentric network indices reflecting bonding capital – the benefits from being embedded in a community – and bridging capital – the benefits from outward-looking social connections. Further, we considered the differential role of three culturally-defined subnetworks: mainstream, heritage, and third-culture connections. The latter played in critical role in fostering identity integration. Network configurations striking a balance between boosting mainstream density and limiting heritage density seemed to be optimally related to identity integration.

Maneuvering the bumps in the New Silk Road: Open innovation, technological complexity, dominant design, and the international impact of Chinese innovation

Chinese innovation is again flowing westwards, which is fomented by China’s Belt and Road Initiative. In this context, we study the international impact of innovations from specific countries. Based on panel data of patents from 27 countries over 17 years, we find that levels of open innovation, technological complexity, and dominant design influence the international impact of innovations from a country. Contrary to earlier research, however, this influence is negative when open innovation activities are involved. This is particularly relevant in the context of Chinese innovation, in which the same innovation networks that promote efficient production may hinder the development of innovations. Due to the innate uncertainty and newness of innovation, partners beyond the common local and long‐term networks must be included. Hence, to effectively create a New Silk Road of Innovation, innovation ecosystems may need to expand across national borders. This opens up fruitful avenues for future research, and individuals with multiple cultural identities can bridge the gaps between contexts.

Klassik als Kulturelle Praxis. Funktional, Intermedial, Transkulturell ed. by Paula Wojcik et al.

Reviewed by: Klassik als Kulturelle Praxis. Funktional, Intermedial, Transkulturell ed. by Paula Wojcik et al. Marissa Schoedel Paula Wojcik, Stefan Matuschek, Sophie Picard, and Monika Wolting, eds. Klassik als Kulturelle Praxis. Funktional, Intermedial, Transkulturell. Spectrum Literaturwissenschaft, vol. 62. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2019. 577 pp. What a classic! What is the first thing you associate with the word classic? The classic in question could be a book, film, or even a play or design aesthetic. Classic can refer to so many things and, without context, one is left guessing as to what, precisely, the classic referent is. This edited volume strives to create several working definitions of the elusive term "classic." The term is especially tricky in the German-speaking context, where the term can be used to refer to a specific literary period: Weimarer Klassik. In both English and German, the classics can also refer to classical studies (i.e., the study of classical antiquity) and the ancient world in general. The volume does not focus on any literary period in particular but rather emphasizes the need to make the terms classic and classical contemporary rather than treating them as a fixed point in time. Classics are a ubiquitous aspect of everyday life, which Wojcik et al. note has lead to the semantic overloading (Überfrachtung) of the concept Klassik. Semantic ambiguity is primarily what hinders the creation of a single working definition. As the subtitle would suggest, the ultimate goal is a multitude of functional, medial, and transcultural definitions rather than one vague, imprecise one. The volume's six subsections are a testament to its interdisciplinary and comparative focus. Section 1 considers the current state of the term "classic" and its [End Page 391] contemporary uses. The transition of classic works to new forms of mass media such as radio and television are examined in section 2. The theme of section 3 is cultural icons as a form of classic. Section 4 focuses on intermediality as a means of mediation. The final two sections deal with cultural appropriation in both intermedial (section 5) and intertextual terms (section 6). Canonical German authors most certainly make a good showing in the volume, but the forms in which internationally canonical texts such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Die Leiden des jungen Werthers appear in are what make it a necessary addition to the Spectrum Literaturwissenschaft series. The explorations of how classics have evolved as they are adapted to radio, film, comic strips, graphic novels, and reimagined novels proves that classics do not inherently need to be boring or tired. On the example of Goethe's oeuvre alone, everything from mashup novels to rapped recitations of Erlkönig are cited as evidence of classical works having clearly moved beyond their static texts of origin to become a body of works centered around the aforementioned canonical point of origin. Transnational interpretations and adaptations of classics is another focal point, which demonstrates the wide reaching, indeed global, impact of canonical classics and their expansion to different media. The currently popular forms of comics and graphic novels have proved a fruitful venue for modern interpretations of well-known classics. Comic adaptations discussed include Beckett's Waiting for Godot, Conscience's Löwe von Flandern, the profane comic anthology Chopin New Romantic, and a manga of Choderlos de Laclos's Les Liasons Dangereuses. The increased representation of authors with multiple cultural identities (e.g., Turkish German, Iranian German) has also broadened transnational and transcultural perspectives within the German context. In the case of Ilse Nagelschmidt's essay "Vom Klassiker zum Kultbuch. Goethes Werther und Feridun Zaimoglus Liebesmale, scharlachrot," intertextuality and transnationalism are simultaneously at play. Adaptations studies further show how transcultural and multilingual adaptations of classics bring these texts to broader audiences beyond the confines of the original's language of origin. Such works are not mere translations as can be seen in the examples of the comics mentioned in the previous paragraph. Parodies of classics are another form that transcends national and cultural boundaries. Because of its comparative bent and interrogation of the specific brand of "classic literature" championed in school and university curricula, this volume will be of interest to literary scholars and students alike...

A potential pitfall of integration: The case for identity conflict to facilitate social change

Building on intersectional awareness literature, this paper examines how another individual difference regarding one’s perception of identity intersections — bicultural identity conflict (BII-C)— predicts immigrants’ interpretations of their social environment and general orientation to take action to support immigrants from one’s heritage group (GOA-I). While previous research has shown that BII-C, or perceived conflict (vs. harmony) between multiple cultural identities, is related to negative intergroup outcomes, we extend this research to examine how BII-C relates to social change actions that promote a more equitable society. An experimental study with 165 first- and second-generation immigrants living in the United States found support for a moderated mediation model. BII-C moderated the relationship between discrimination and the degree to which participants attributed discrimination to societal factors. These attributions were associated with GOA-I. Future research should consider additional individual differences, beyond intersectional awareness and BII-C, to see how these orientations may also act as a lens through which people interpret their social environment and are willing to take action to change it.

The cultural group in intercultural understanding: implications for teaching from a social identity theory perspective

Learning about one’s own cultures as well as other cultures is a central aspect of the cognitive dimension of intercultural understanding, focusing the individual on cultural group affiliations, belonging and questions of ‘who one is’. Using a social identity lens, with a particular focus on self-categorisation theory to explore how individuals view themselves in relation to the groups to which they belong, this article presents the implications of applying self-categorisation theory to aspects of the field of intercultural understanding. From within the self-categorisation framework, the article also reports on findings from a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews which investigated the beliefs of experienced secondary teachers working in international schools regarding the relationship between the development of intercultural understanding and identity. Teachers indicated increased awareness of primarily national group affiliation, limited engagement with the concept of multiple cultural identities, a process of distancing and creating new group affiliations, as well as some psychological discomfort and conflict avoidance.

Doing Ethnography in Business: Identity Manipulation and Its Implications

This paper is an autoethnography of my experiences during participant observation in a business organization in Hong Kong. The paper examines an ethnographer’s manipulations of cultural identity in the field, its connection to the cultural context of Hong Kong society, and its implications for business. Furthermore, this paper analyzes, through the lens of an anthropologist who was born in mainland China and educated both in mainland China and Japan, the process of identity manipulation based on 1.5 years of fieldwork in a Japanese multinational retailer in Hong Kong. During my participation in the retail shops as a full-time intern, I assumed multiple cultural identities related to ethnicity and social class, and sometimes I felt the necessity to manipulate these identities to seem like an insider to achieve my personal research objectives. This paper describes the process of identity manipulation to reveal the complex web of identity, society, politics, and culture, and how individuals can take an active role in self-interpretation in the realization of personal aims. It also discusses the basic skills which a good ethnographer should possess, such as being a silent listener, maintaining a neutral stance, and thinking holistically; these skills are similar to those needed by a good manager.

Multicultural body-based cultural frame switching: A dance/movement therapy approach

ABSTRACT This article considers how individuals who believe they do not belong to a single cultural or ethnic group, may feel culturally homeless as a result of low bicultural identity integration (BII) in which they feel their multiple cultural identities do not fit together but are contrasting. This feeling of dissonance between a person’s cultural identities can lead to norm violations in social situations due to their inability to culturally frame switch into the most appropriate cultural meaning system. The author’s proposed Multicultural Body-Based Cultural Frame Switching Model utilises dance movement therapy techniques and research from the field of cognitive psychology to help people increase their BII and better accurately culturally frame switch. The model increases memories of positive bicultural experiences through the exploration of body posture, which raises BII and allows for easier access to a person’s differing cultural meaning systems in a given situation.

The production of intercultural urban landscapes, a multi-scalar approach: the case of Ballarò, Palermo

In the context of the recent migration crisis affecting Europe, and the impact it has had in its public and political landscapes, there is an urgent need to nurture and manage the value of intercultural societies. The quality of intercultural interaction, particularly in the context of public spaces, have a fundamental influence in shaping social and political attitudes about the coexistence of different cultural groups. This paper argues for the role that intercultural place-making has in articulating a meaningful and sustainable inclusion and participation of multiple cultural identities in shaping our urban and public realms, mediating and negotiating an intercultural cohabitation and exchange that could generate social capital and cohesion. The paper proposes a multi-scalar approach to the planning and implementation of intercultural place-making processes, in a way that these may better articulate the intercultural exchange with complex urban and social settings and networks, so to enhance their insertion and role in the construction of cohesive intercultural cities.

Urban spaces as mirrors of multiple social identities: the Palestinian people of Israel

This study focuses on different groups of Palestinian citizens of Israel, representing more than 20% of the total Israeli population. Working on the link between urban space and social diversity, the authors will capture complex dynamics of segregation and social inequalities ex-isting among different Arab communities. This research aims to promote a new approach that, overcoming the stereotyped vision of two social monolithic blocks at war with each other - Jews and Arabs- shows a complex social mosaic of multiple cultural identities, characterizing the contemporary Israeli society.

La interculturalidad como nuevo objeto: Esbozo de un planteamiento transmoderno

La interculturalidad entendida como la síntesis de contradicciones entre múltiples expresiones e identidades culturales no puede abstraerse del viejo dilema filosófico, y además político, que implica la discusión de la modernidad versus postmodernidad. En esta propuesta argumento que lo intercultural se manifiesta de manera problemática en ambas matrices de pensamiento; en la modernidad por su sentido común totalizador, y la postmodernidad al encubrir un marco común de referencia. Frente a ello, esbozo un planteamiento vinculado a la tesis de la transmodernidad. Donde sería posible diálogo entre iguales, no como una caridad, sino como una exigencia de los sectores históricamente marginados. Para la construcción de esta posición, movilizo el esfuerzo teórico que se realiza desde la Teoría Histórico Cultural de la Actividad (CHAT) para insertar lo psicológico en un campo de mayor complejidad: la actividad intersubjetiva. Trabajo con la hipótesis del aprendizaje expansivo de la CHAT para caracterizar lo intercultural como un nuevo objeto de aprendizaje colectivo producto de la colisión entre posiciones. Por lo tanto, la interculturalidad es una idea movilizadora que se elabora de manera progresiva como resultado de la gestión del aprendizaje y diálogo cultural.

The relationship between intercultural abilities and cultural identity styles: A longitudinal cross-lagged analysis.

Hybrid and alternating identity styles are dynamic strategies that members of immigrant and ethnic minority groups use to maintain multiple cultural identities. Although research shows that the two strategies predict different outcomes for cultural identity development and psychological well-being, less is known about their antecedents. The present study investigated the temporal relationship between intercultural abilities (i.e. intercultural effectiveness) and the activation of hybrid and alternating identity styles in a community sample of Filipino and Indian New Zealanders. Cross-lagged analysis indicated that intercultural abilities positively predicted the hybrid identity style and negatively predicted the alternating identity style. Cultural identity styles were not predictive of intercultural abilities over time. Multigroup analysis indicated equivalence of regression paths across ethnic groups. Findings suggest that intercultural abilities function as an antecedent of cultural identity styles.

Panorama de mujeres documentalistas Árabes

This paper provides a general overview of women documentary filmmakers in the Arab world. The text intends to elaborate on these aspects in relation to the condition of women’s roles, their participation in the public sphere and their participation in audiovisual production. Subsequently, it focuses on the analysis of the most remarkable figures, dividing the region in three segments. The first segment approaches the Egyptian cinema, a pioneer in the region. Likewise, in this segment, women’s participation in the Egyptian cinema in its beginning and their participation in the documentary production are addressed. The second segment focuses on the Sham (Syria, Lebanon and Palestine) analyzing the particular characteristics of a region which has gone through several interethnic conflicts and the Palestinian tragedy. The third segment elaborates on the documentary audiovisual production of women filmmakers from the Maghreb (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia) in relation with their multiple cultural identities which are in turn reflected on their productions.

Transnational Pacific Islanders: Implications for Social Work.

The Pacific Islander American racial group is smaller in terms of numbers relative to other racial groups and yet one of the fastest-growing in the United States. The complexity of their lives exceeds the implications of such small numbers, yet it reflects the contribution of their transnational ties and relationships in the Pacific and increasing multiple cultural identities as Pacific Islander Americans. Although this identity provides potential opportunities, challenges and struggles in navigating dual cultures and systems is a reality. Thus, commitment to culturally relevant social work practice with transnational Pacific Islander Americans is imperative. Social work practices that acknowledge and integrate indigenous ways of knowing and doing with consideration to the duality of their transnational identities will produce better outcomes. Emphasis on Pacific Islander cultural strengths is fundamental to generating positive health and mental health outcomes as these strengths have sustained Pacific Islanders through experiences of colonization, immigration, and historical trauma. This article discusses the multiple dimensions of the transnational experiences of Pacific Islander Americans and the implications for culturally relevant social work practice, policy, and research.

Culture and Psychopathology: New Perspectives on Research, Practice, and Clinical Training in a Globalized World.

The present paper discusses the role of culture in understanding and treating psychopathology. It describes new perspectives on the conceptualization of psychopathology and on the definition of culture, and how these are intertwined. The impacts of culture, explicit and implicit discrimination, and minority stress on mental health are reviewed, especially in the current era. Culturally-sensitive assessment practices in psychopathology are emphasized, including addressing the multiple cultural identities of the patient, the explanatory models of the experienced distress, specific psychosocial stressors and strengths, and the cultural features of the practitioner-patient relationship in the clinical encounter. The particular case of psychotherapy in working with culturally diverse patients is explored. Finally, mainstreaming of culture in research and clinical training in psychopathology is highlighted, acknowledging that each clinical interaction is a cultural one.

Hybrid and Alternating Identity Styles as Strategies for Managing Multicultural Identities

The article introduces the concept of cultural identity styles, strategies that individuals use for decision making about identity-relevant issues, and proposes that blending and alternating are two strategies that acculturating individuals activate to manage multiple cultural identities. Drawing on diverse samples from New Zealand, Mauritius, and Israel, we present two studies. The first describes the construction of the Multicultural Identity Styles Scale (MISS) and the validation of its Hybrid Identity Style (HIS) and Alternating Identity Style (AIS) subscales. HIS was associated with greater blendedness as assessed by the Bicultural Identity Integration Scale (BIIS-1) and was more prominent in second-generation immigrants compared with their first-generation peers. AIS was associated with less BIIS harmony and was stronger in first-generation immigrants. In the second study, we propose, test, and replicate a mediational model, whereby cultural identity outcomes mediate the impact of cultural identity styles on well-being. Path analysis demonstrated that the motivation to integrate predicted the use of both HIS and AIS; however, HIS led to greater cultural identity consolidation and on to higher levels of well-being. In contrast, AIS predicted greater cultural identity conflict and poorer psychological adaptation. The studies advance our theorizing on biculturalism and integration by adopting a process-oriented approach to cultural identity negotiation.

S119. MULTICULTURAL IDENTITY INTEGRATION AND SCHIZOTYPAL PERSONALITY DISORDER

BackgroundSchizotypal personality disorder (SPD) is often misdiagnosed and understudied. Moreover, when diagnosed correctly, SPD can be difficult to treat and is associated with significant functional impairment. Furthermore, SPD falls under a schizophrenia-spectrum phenotype and can aid in better understanding the trajectory, risk factors, and treatment for psychotic disorders. Given the lack of research on SPD and the underutilization of mental health services by ethnic minorities, this population may be at increased risk for poor outcomes (Delphin-Rittmon, et al., 2015). Yet, few studies assess cultural factors that may account for differences among minorities with psychotic related disorders or SPD. Multicultural identity integration (MII) may offer insights into the presentation of mental illness among ethnic minorities. According to Amoit et al.’s (2007) cognitive-developmental model of social identity configuration, there are four multiple identity configurations. The present study assessed three of the four—categorization, in which individuals identify with one of their cultural groups over others; compartmentalization, in which individuals preserve multiple, separate identities within themselves; and integration, where individuals merge their multiple cultural identities. Research finds that individuals who integrate their culture identities have better mental health outcomes, such as risk for depression, whereas those that do not integrate either culture and compartmentalize their identities, that is, maintain separate identities, have the worst outcomes (Nguyen & Benet-Martinez, 2013). We propose that individuals struggling to integrate identities and instead categorize or compartmentalize them will display higher symptom endorsement of SPD.MethodsParticipants included 261 ethnic minority students from the University of Miami. Students completed measures of schizotypy (Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire; Raine, 1991) and multicultural identities within the self (The Multicultural Identity Integration Scale; Yampolsky et al., 2013). All scales demonstrated good-to-excellent reliability.ResultsWhen correlating SPD symptoms to the three forms of identity integration, we found a significant correlation with categorization (r =.14, p=.02) and compartmentalization (r =.20, p<.01), however the correlation was non-significant with integration (r =.07, p=.30). When conducting a linear regression using levels of MII to predict SPD, increased levels of categorization (β=.42) and compartmentalization (β=1.53) were associated with greater endorsement of SPD symptoms (F(2,258)=5.49, R2=.04, p<.01).DiscussionAs hypothesized, increased categorization and compartmentalization of multiple cultural identities were associated with greater endorsement of SPD symptoms. Poor adjustment to a new culture and consequential integration of multiple identities may place individuals at risk for developing early symptoms of SPD. However, integration of identities was not significantly related to endorsement of SPD. Therefore, it seems that although poorer integration of identities may serve as a risk factor, greater integration may not necessarily serve as a protective factor. This study is limited by the constricted age range and SES inherent in a college sample. Gathering more information on immigration status, years in the US, etc. may be helpful in highlighting nuances within the data. Interventions targeting individuals with low identity integration may be beneficial to individuals at risk of developing SPD. This is especially true given the real-world functional impairment similar to schizophrenia found among those with SPD.

Risking It Anyway: An Adolescent Case Study of Trauma, Sexual and Gender Identities, and Relationality

ABSTRACTThis article presents the case of a Chinese–American adolescent with a significant trauma history who was questioning her sexual and gender identities. The implications of the client's intersecting identities for case conceptualization and treatment are considered within the framework of affirmative practices for sexual and gender minority (SGM) clients. The impacts of stress and trauma on this client's experiences—and SGM clients more broadly—are also considered, particularly with respect to how this client understood and negotiated her experiences of relational trauma. This case is intended to illustrate some best practices with SGM clients within an intersectional framework which underscores the importance of multiple salient cultural identities.

Feeling Half-Half? Exploring Relational Variation of Turkish-Heritage Young Adults’ Cultural Identity Compatibility and Conflict in Austria

ABSTRACTGrowing up in multicultural environments, Turkish-heritage individuals in Europe face specific challenges in combining their multiple cultural identities to form a coherent sense of self. Drawing from social identity complexity, this study explores four modes of combining cultural identities and their variation in relational contexts. Problem-centered interviews with Turkish-heritage young adults in Austria revealed the preference for complex, supranational labels, such as multicultural. Furthermore, most participants described varying modes of combining cultural identities over time and across relational contexts. Social exclusion experiences throughout adolescence related to perceived conflict of cultural identities, whereas multicultural peer groups supported perceived compatibility of cultural identities. Findings emphasize the need for complex, multidimensional approaches to study ethnic minorities’ combination of cultural identities.

Multiple Identities and Their Intersections with Queer Health and Wellbeing

ABSTRACTQuestions about the nature of culture and its influence on health and wellbeing are emerging as important for health care practice, education and research. However, definitions of culture vary, and a broad definition of culture that embraces diversity, including sexual orientation, (dis)ability, sex, gender, gender identity, age and ethnicity, is contested. This paper makes the case for the need to embrace a multi-layered definition of culture. It argues that multiple cultural identities held by so many queer Australians can enrich or harm wellbeing, depending on the social milieu in which the person lives. The intersectionality of various cultural identities must be understood by healthcare providers, educators, policymakers and researchers in the field. This paper provides a framework to guide this understanding and examples of methods to support healthy multiple identities. Social connectedness, coalition building and social citizenship are presented as strategies for successful integration of multiple identities.