Ethnic identity in emerging adults in Sub‐Saharan Africa and the USA, and its associations with psychological well‐Being
Document Type
Article
Department
Institute for Human Development
Abstract
Abstract: Ethnic identity as a social dimension of identity is argued to be developmentally important for psycho-logical well-being. However, the relationships between these constructs are mainly examined inWestern contexts, amongst dominant–non-dominant groups. We investigate ethnic identity acrossthe mainstream group of a prototypical Western society (the USA) and several multi-ethnic sub-Saharan African countries (Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa, and Zambia), as well as how it relatesto psychological well-being. A total of 1255 university students (61.8% females, Mage= 20.94 years,SD = 2.97) completed a questionnaire with ethnic identity and psychological well-being measures. Re-sults indicated that ethnic identity was most salient in two different South African ethnocultural sam-ples and least salient in a mainstream US sample. These results suggest that groups that are moreexposed to ethnic strain in multicultural societies tend to have more salient ethnic identities. Further-more, the underlying structure in the ethnic identity psychological well-being relationship was similaracross groups.
Publication (Name of Journal)
Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology
Recommended Citation
Adams, B.,
Abubakar, A.,
Van de Vijver, F.,
De Bruin, G.,
Arasa, J.,
Fomba, E.,
Gillath, O.,
Hapunda, G.,
Looh La, J.,
Mazrui, L.,
Murugami, M.
(2016). Ethnic identity in emerging adults in Sub‐Saharan Africa and the USA, and its associations with psychological well‐Being. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 26(3), 236-252.
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/eastafrica_ihd/109
Comments
This work was published before the author joined Aga Khan University.