Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T00:06:39.508Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Intervening in cultural development: The case of ethnic–racial identity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2018

Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor
Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor*
Affiliation:
Harvard University and Universidad de San Buenaventura, Medellín
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 14 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA 02138; E-mail: [email protected].
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The literature on developmental psychopathology has been criticized for its limited integration of culture and, particularly, the lack of research addressing cultural development in relation to psychopathology. In this paper, I present how the study of ethnic–racial identity provides a heuristic model for how culture can be examined developmentally and in relation to psychopathology. In addition, I introduce the Identity Project intervention program and discuss how its findings provide empirical support for the notions that cultural development can be modified with intervention, and that such modifications can lead to psychosocial benefits for adolescents. Finally, I discuss existing challenges to advancing this work and important future directions for both basic and translational research in this area.

Type
Special Issue Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 30 , Special Issue 5: Cultural Development and Psychopathology , December 2018 , pp. 1907 - 1922
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

This work was conducted while the author was a visiting Research Professor at Universidad de San Buenaventura in Medellín, Colombia. Special thanks to Elana McDermott for assistance with manuscript preparation.

References

Apfelbaum, E. P., Pauker, K., Sommers, S. R., & Ambady, N. (2010). In blind pursuit of racial equality? Psychological Science, 21, 1587–1592. doi:10.1177/0956797610384741Google Scholar
Bornstein, M. H. (2017). The specificity principle in acculturation science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12, 3–45. doi:10.1177/1745691616655997Google Scholar
Borrero, N. E., & Yeh, C. J. (2011). The multidimensionality of ethnic identity among urban high school youth. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 11, 114–135. doi:10.1080/15283488.2011.555978Google Scholar
Bouffard, S. M., Wimer, C., Caronongan, P., Little, P. M. D., Dearing, E., & Simpkins, S. D. (2006). Demographic differences in patterns of youth out-of-school time activity participation. Journal of Youth Development, 1, 0101FA004.Google Scholar
Brown, C. S., & Chu, H. (2012). Discrimination, ethnic identity, and academic outcomes of Mexican immigrant children: The importance of school context. Child Development, 83, 1477–1485. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01786.xGoogle Scholar
Byrd, C. M. (2015). The associations of intergroup interactions and school racial socialization with academic motivation. Journal of Educational Research, 108, 10–21. doi:10.1080/00220671.2013.831803Google Scholar
Causadias, J. M. (2013). A roadmap for the integration of culture into developmental psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 25, 1375–1398. doi:10.1017/S0954579413000679Google Scholar
Causadias, J. M., Vitriol, J. A., & Atkin, A. L. (2018). The cultural (mis)attribution bias in developmental psychology in the United States. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. Advance online publication. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2018.01.003Google Scholar
Chang, J., & Lee, T. N. (2010). Multiculturalism as a dimension of school climate: The impact on the academic achievement of Asian American and Hispanic youth. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16, 485–492. doi:10.1037/a0020654Google Scholar
Cicchetti, D., & Rogosch, F. A. (1996). Equifinality and multifinality in developmental psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 8, 597–600.Google Scholar
Cicchetti, D., & Toth, S. L. (2006). Building bridges and crossing them: Translational research in developmental psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 18, 619–622. doi:10.1017/S0954579406060317Google Scholar
Cross, W. E. Jr. (1971). The Negro-to-Black conversion experience. Black World, 20, 13–27.Google Scholar
Cross, W. E. Jr. (1991). Shades of Black: Diversity in African-American identity. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.Google Scholar
Cross, W. E. Jr. (1995). The psychology of nigrescence: Revising the Cross model. In Ponterotto, J. G., Casas, J. M., Suzuki, L. A., & Alexander, C. M. (Eds.), Handbook of multicultural counseling (pp. 93–122). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Douglass, S., Mirpuri, S., English, D. & Yip, T. (2016). “They were just making jokes”: Ethnic/racial teasing and discrimination among adolescents. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 22, 69–82. doi:10.1037/cdp0000041Google Scholar
Douglass, S., Mirpuri, S., & Yip, T. (2017). Considering friends within the context of peers in school for the development of ethnic/racial identity. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46, 300–316. doi:10.1007/s10964-016-0532-0Google Scholar
Douglass, S., & Umaña-Taylor, A. J. (2015). Development of ethnic-racial identity among Latino adolescents and the role of family. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 41, 90–98. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2015.09.002Google Scholar
Eagly, A. H. (2016). When passionate advocates meet research on diversity, does the honest broker stand a chance? Journal of Social Issues, 72, 199–222. doi:10.1111/josi.12163Google Scholar
Engstrom, D. W. (2000). Hispanic immigration at the new millennium. In Cafferty, P. S. J. & Engstrom, D. W. (Eds.), Hispanics in the United States: An agenda for the twenty-first century (pp. 31–68). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.Google Scholar
Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York: Norton.Google Scholar
Finn, J. D., & Servoss, T. J. (2014). Misbehavior, suspensions, and security measures in high school: Racial/ethnic and gender differences. Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children and Risk, 5, 11.Google Scholar
Flynn, J. E. (2012). Critical pedagogy with the oppressed and the oppressors: Middle school students discuss racism and white privilege. Middle Grades Research Journal, 7, 95–110.Google Scholar
French, S. E., Seidman, E., Allen, L., & Aber, J. L. (2006). The development of ethnic identity during adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 42, 1–10. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.42.1.1Google Scholar
García Coll, C., Akerman, A., & Cicchetti, D. (2000). Cultural influences on developmental processes and outcomes: Implications for the study of development and psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 12, 333–356.Google Scholar
Gonzales-Backen, M. A., Bámaca-Colbert, M. Y., & Allen, K. (2016). Ethnic identity trajectories among Mexican-origin girls during early and middle adolescence: Predicting future psychosocial adjustment. Developmental Psychology, 52, 790–797.Google Scholar
Greenberg, M. T., & Lippold, M. A. (2013). Promoting healthy outcomes among youth with multiple risks: Innovative approaches. Annual Review of Public Health, 34, 253–270. doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031811-124619Google Scholar
Helms, J. E. (1990). Black and White racial identity: Theory, research, and practice. Westport, CT: Praeger.Google Scholar
Huang, C., & Stormshak, E. (2011). A longitudinal examination of early adolescence ethnic identity trajectories. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 17, 261–270. doi:10.1037/a0023882Google Scholar
Hughes, D. L., Del Toro, J., & Way, N. (2017). Interrelations among dimensions of ethnic-racial identity during adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 53, 2139–2153.Google Scholar
Jett, C. C., & Cross, S. B. (2016). Teaching about diversity in black and white: Reflections and recommendations from two teacher educators. New Educator, 12, 131–146. doi:10.1080/1547688X.2015.1058448Google Scholar
Juang, L. P., Nguyen, H. H., & Lin, Y. (2006). The ethnic identity, other-group attitudes, and psychosocial functioning of Asian American emerging adults from two contexts. Journal of Adolescent Research, 21, 542–568. doi:10.1177/0743558406291691Google Scholar
Kaplan, H. R. (2011). The myth of post-racial America: Searching for equality in the age of materialism. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education.Google Scholar
Kenyon, D. B., & Carter, J. S. (2011). Ethnic identity, sense of community, and psychological well-being among Northern Plains American Indian youth. Journal of Community Psychology, 39, 1–9. doi:10.1002/jcop.20412Google Scholar
Knight, G. P., Carlo, G., Streit, C., & White, R. M. B. (2017). A model of maternal and paternal ethnic socialization of Mexican-American adolescents’ self-views. Child Development, 88, 1885–1896. doi:10.1111/cdev.12939Google Scholar
Lee, T. N., & Johansen, S. (2011). The relationship between school multiculturalism and interpersonal violence: An exploratory study. Journal of School Health, 81, 688–695. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2011.00645.xGoogle Scholar
Lopez, G., Ruiz, N. G., & Patten, E. (2017, September). Key facts about Asian Americans: A diverse and growing population. Pew Research Center Fact Tank. Retrieved January 28, 2018, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/09/08/key-facts-about-asian-americans/Google Scholar
Marcia, J. E. (1980). Identity in adolescence. In Adelson, J. (Ed.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp. 159–187). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Markus, H. R., Steele, C. M., & Steele, D. M. (2000). Colorblindness as a barrier to inclusion: Assimilation and nonimmigrant minorities. Daedalus, 129, 233–259.Google Scholar
Matsunaga, M., Hecht, M. L., Elek, E., & Ndiaye, K. (2010). Ethnic identity development and acculturation: A longitudinal analysis of Mexican-heritage youth in the Southwest United States. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 41, 410–427. doi:10.1177/0022022109359689Google Scholar
Miller-Cotto, D., & Byrnes, J. P. (2016). Ethnic/racial identity and academic achievement: A meta-analytic review. Developmental Review, 41, 51–70. doi:10.1016/j.dr.2016.06.003Google Scholar
National Center for Education Statistics. (2017, August). School directory information. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/Google Scholar
National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, Committee on the Prevention of Mental Disorders and Substance Abuse Among Children, Youth, and Young Adults: Research Advances and Promising Interventions; O'Connell, M. E.; Boat, T.; & Warner, K. E. (Eds.) (2009). Preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders among young people: Progress and possibilities. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.Google Scholar
Pahl, K., & Way, N. (2006). Longitudinal trajectories of ethnic identity among urban Black and Latino adolescents. Child Development, 77, 1403–1415. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00943.xGoogle Scholar
Pauker, K., Apfelbaum, E. P., & Spitzer, B. (2015). When societal norms and social identity collide: The race talk dilemma for racial minority children. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 6, 887–895. doi:10.1177/1948550615598379Google Scholar
Phinney, J. (1989). Stages of ethnic identity development in minority group adolescents. Journal of Early Adolescence, 9, 34–49. doi:10.1177/0272431689091004Google Scholar
Phinney, J. S. (1992). The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure: A new scale for use with diverse groups. Journal of Adolescent Research, 7, 156–176. doi:10.1177/074355489272003Google Scholar
Phinney, J. S. (1993). A three-stage model of ethnic identity development in adolescence. In Bernal, M. E. P. & Knight, G. P. (Eds.), Ethnic identity: Formation and transmission among Hispanics and other minorities (pp. 61–79). New York: State University of New York Press.Google Scholar
Phinney, J. S., & Kohatsu, E. L. (1997). Ethnic and racial identity development and mental health. In Schulenberg, J., Maggs, J. L., & Hurrelmann, K. (Eds.), Health risks and developmental transitions during adolescence (pp. 420–443). New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Pollock, M. (2004). Colormute: Race talk dilemmas in an American school. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Quintana, S. M. (2007). Racial and ethnic identity: Developmental perspectives and research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 54, 259–270. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.54.3.259Google Scholar
Rastogi, S., Johnson, T. D., Hoeffel, E. M., & Drewery, M. P. (2011). The Black population: 2010. 2010 Census Briefs C2010BR-06. Washington, DC: US Census Bureau.Google Scholar
Riggs, N. R., Bohnert, A. M., Guzman, M. D., & Davidson, D. (2010). Examining the potential of community-based after-school programs for Latino youth. American Journal of Community Psychology, 45, 417–429. doi:10.1007/s10464-010-9313-1Google Scholar
Rivas-Drake, D., & Umaña-Taylor, A. J. (2019). Below the surface: Talking with teens about race, ethnicity, and identity. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Rosenbloom, S. R., & Way, N. (2004). Experiences of discrimination among African American, Asian American, and Latino adolescents in an urban high school. Youth and Society, 35, 420–451. doi:10.1177/0044118X03261479Google Scholar
Roth, J. L., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2016). Evaluating youth development programs: Progress and promise. Applied Developmental Science, 20, 188–202. doi:10.1080/10888691.2015.1113879Google Scholar
Schwartz, S. J., Syed, M., Yip, T., Knight, G. P., Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Rivas-Drake, D., … Study Group on Ethnic and Racial Identity in the 21st Century (2014). Methodological issues in ethnic and racial identity research with ethnic minority populations: Theoretical precision, measurement issues, and research designs. Child Development, 85, 58–76. doi:10.1111/cdev.12201Google Scholar
Sellers, R. M., Rowley, S. A. J., Chavous, T. M., Shelton, J. N., & Smith, M. A. (1997). Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity: A preliminary investigation of reliability and construct validity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 805–815. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.73.4.805Google Scholar
Sellers, R. M., Smith, M. A., Shelton, J. N., Rowley, S. A. J., & Chavous, T. M. (1998). Multidimensional model of racial identity: A reconceptualization of African American racial identity. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 2, 18–39. doi:10.1207/s15327957pspr0201_2Google Scholar
Skiba, R. J., Michael, R. S., Nardo, A. C., & Peterson, R. L. (2002). The color of discipline: Sources of racial and gender disproportionality in school punishment. Urban Review, 34, 317–342. doi:10.1023/A:1021320817372Google Scholar
Smith, T. B., & Silva, L. (2011). Ethnic identity and personal well-being of people of color: A meta-analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 58, 42–60. doi:10.1037/a0021528Google Scholar
Spanierman, L. B. (2015). White racial identity development: Looking back and considering what is ahead. In Salett, E. P. & Koslow, D. R. (Eds.), Multicultural perspectives on race, ethnicity, and identity (pp. 123–138). Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers Press.Google Scholar
Spears, S. S. (2004). The impact of a cultural competency course on the racial identity of MSWs. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 74, 272–288. doi:10.1080/00377310409517716Google Scholar
Sroufe, L. A. (1990). Considering normal and abnormal together: The essence of developmental psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 2, 335–347. doi:10.1017/S0954579400005769Google Scholar
Street, J., Harris-Britt, A., & Walker-Barnes, C. (2009). Examining relationships between ethnic identity, family environment, and psychological outcomes for African American adolescents. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 18, 412–420. doi:10.1007/s10826-008-9245-7Google Scholar
Swenson, R. R., & Prelow, H. M. (2005). Ethnic identity, self-esteem, and perceived efficacy as mediators of the relation of supportive parenting to psychosocial outcomes among urban adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 28, 465–477. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2004.09.005Google Scholar
Syed, M., & Azmitia, M. (2008). A narrative approach to ethnic identity in emerging adulthood: Bringing life to the identity status model. Developmental Psychology, 44, 1012–1027. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.44.4.1012Google Scholar
Syed, M., & Azmitia, M. (2009). Longitudinal trajectories of ethnic identity during the college years. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 19, 601–624. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2009.00609.xGoogle Scholar
Terzian, M., Giesen, L., & Mbwana, K. (2009). Why teens are not involved in out-of-school time programs: The youth perspective. Child Trends Research-to-Results Brief (Publication #2009-38). Washington, DC: Child Trends.Google Scholar
Turner, J. C., Hogg, M. A., Oakes, P. J., Reicher, S. D., & Wetherell, M. S. (1987). Rediscovering the social group: A self-categorization theory. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Tynes, B. M., Rose, C. A., Hiss, S., Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Mitchell, K., & Williams, D. (2014). Virtual environments, online racial discrimination, and adjustment among a diverse, school-based sample of adolescents. International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations, 6, 1–16. doi:10.4018/ijgcms.2014070101Google Scholar
Tynes, B. M., Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Rose, C. A., Lin, J., & Anderson, C. J. (2012). Online racial discrimination and the protective function of ethnic identity and self-esteem for African American adolescents. Developmental Psychology, 48, 343–355. doi:10.1037/a0027032Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J. (2004). Ethnic identity and self-esteem: Examining the role of social context. Journal of Adolescence, 27, 139–146. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2003.11.006Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J. (2011). Ethnic identity. In Schwartz, S. J., Luyckx, K., & Vignoles, V. L. (Eds.), Handbook of identity theory and research (pp. 791–809). New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J. (2016a). Ethnic-racial identity: Conceptualization, development, and associations with youth adjustment. In Balter, L. & Tamis-LeMonda, C. S. (Eds.), Child psychology: A handbook of contemporary issues (3rd ed., pp. 305–327). New York: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J. (2016b). A post-racial society in which ethnic-racial discrimination still exists and has significant consequences for youths’ adjustment. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 25, 111–118. doi:10.1177/0963721415627858Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Alfaro, E. C., Bámaca, M. Y., & Guimond, A. B. (2009). The central role of familial ethnic socialization in Latino adolescents’ cultural orientation. Journal of Marriage and Family, 71, 46–60. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00579.xGoogle Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., & Douglass, S. (2016). Developing an ethnic-racial identity intervention from a developmental perspective: Process, content, and implementation. In Cabrera, N. J. & Leyendecker, B. (Eds.), Handbook of positive development of minority children and youth (pp. 437–453). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Douglass, S., Updegraff, K. A., & Marsiglia, F. (2018). Small-scale randomized efficacy trial of the Identity Project: Promoting adolescents' ethnic-racial identity exploration and resolution. Child Development, 89, 862–870. doi:10.1111/cdev.12755Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Kornienko, O., Douglass, S., & Updegraff, K. A. (2018). A universal intervention program increases ethnic-racial identity exploration and resolution to predict adolescent psychosocial functioning one year later. Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 47, 1–15. doi:10.1007/s10964-017-0766-5Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., O'Donnell, M., Knight, G. P., Roosa, M. W., Berkel, C., & Nair, R. (2014). Mexican-origin early adolescents’ ethnic socialization, ethnic identity, and psychosocial functioning. Counseling Psychologist, 42, 170–200. doi:10.1037/a0029438Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., & Shin, N. (2007). An examination of the Ethnic Identity Scale with diverse populations: Exploring variation by ethnicity and geography. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 13, 178–186. doi:10.1037/1099-9809.13.2.178Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Tynes, B., Toomey, R. B., Williams, D., & Mitchell, K. (2015). Latino adolescents’ perceived discrimination in online and off-line settings: An examination of cultural risk and protective factors. Developmental Psychology, 51, 87–100. doi:10.1037/a0038432Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., & Updegraff, K. (2007). Latino adolescents’ mental health: Exploring the role of discrimination, ethnic identity, acculturation, and self-esteem. Journal of Adolescence, 30, 549–567. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2006.08.002Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Updegraff, K. A., Jahromi, L. B., & Zeiders, K. H. (2015). Trajectories of ethnic-racial identity and autonomy among Mexican-origin adolescent mothers in the United States. Child Development, 86, 2034–2050. doi:10.1111/cdev.12444Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Vargas-Chanes, D., Garcia, C. D., & Gonzales-Backen, M. (2008). An examination of Latino adolescents’ ethnic identity, coping with discrimination, and self-esteem. Journal of Early Adolescence, 28, 16–50. doi:10.1177/0272431607308666Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Yazedjian, A., & Bámaca-Gómez, M. Y. (2004). Developing the Ethnic Identity Scale using Eriksonian and social identity perspectives. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 4, 9–38. doi:10.1207/S1532706XID0401_2Google Scholar
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Zeiders, K. H., & Updegraff, K. A. (2013). Family ethnic socialization and ethnic identity: A family-driven, youth-driven, or reciprocal process? Journal of Family Psychology, 27, 137–146. doi:10.1037/a0031105Google Scholar
White, R. M. B., Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Knight, G., & Zeiders, K. A. (2011). Language measurement equivalence of the Ethnic Identity Scale with Mexican American early adolescents. Journal of Early Adolescence, 31, 817–852. doi:10.1177/0272431610376246Google Scholar
Williams, J. L., Tolan, P. H., Durkee, M. I., Francois, A. G., & Anderson, R. E. (2012). Integrating racial and ethnic identity research into developmental understanding of adolescents. Child Development Perspectives, 6, 304–311. doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2012.00235.xGoogle Scholar
Zeiders, K. H., Causadias, J. M., & White, R. M. B. (2018). The health correlates of culture: Examining the association between ethnic-racial identity and diurnal cortisol slopes. Journal of Adolescent Health, 62, 349–351. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.09.020Google Scholar