Protective factors promoting psychosocial resilience in biracial youths

Posted in Dissertations, Identity Development/Psychology, New Media on 2010-12-09 19:03Z by Steven

Protective factors promoting psychosocial resilience in biracial youths

University of Alaska, Fairbanks
2010
127 pages
Publication Number: AAT 3421517
ISBN: 9781124214290

Gail K. Kawakami-Schwarber

Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska ,Fairbanks in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Resilience in adolescents is the achievement of positive outcomes and the attainment of developmental tasks in the face of significant risk. This study identified protective factors promoting resilience in the development of positive self-identity in biracial youths. The rapidly rising biracial youth population is a vulnerable group facing potentially higher risks for mental health and behavioral issues compared to their monoracial counterparts. Identity development, a central psychosocial task of adolescence, is a complex task for biracial youths since they must integrate two ethnic identities. For biracial youths, mastery of the psychosocial identity developmental task can be daunting as they face stressors such as racial stigmas and negative stereotypes, which may lead to identity problems manifesting during adolescence. Sixteen biracial individuals ranging from age 18 to 29 years participated in this qualitative research project. Comparisons were made to identify patterns and themes for factors affecting self-esteem and ethnic identity level among the participants. Brought to light were culturally-based protective factors stemming from individual, family, and social domains promoting psychosocial resilience in fostering healthy biracial identity resolution. Risk factors unique for the biracial population were also identified. The findings underscore the importance in understanding how the environment shapes and influences the ways biracial youth negotiate their dual identity. The research results can be integrated into appropriate prevention and intervention techniques for application by professionals and families to further healthy identity resolution in biracial youths.

Table of Contents

  • Signature Page
  • Title Page
  • Abstract
  • Table of Contents
  • List of Figures
  • List of Tables
  • List of Appendices
  • Acknowledgements
  • Chapter 1 Introduction
    • Statement of Problem
    • Statement of Purpose
    • Definition of Terms
  • Chapter 2 Literature Review
    • Vulnerable Population
    • Issues Related to the Biracial Population
    • Adolescent Identity Development
    • Psychosocial Identity Process
    • Ecological Theory
    • Race, Culture, and Stereotypes
    • Racial Identity Studies
    • Ethnic Identity and Self-Esteem
    • Ethnic Identity Models
    • Biracial Identity Models
      • Posten’s biracial identity development model (BID)
      • Wardle’s biracial model
      • The Kerwin-Ponterotto model
      • Root’s biracial identity resolution theory
    • Resilience Concept
    • Models of Resilience
      • Challenge model
      • Cumulative effect model
      • Interaction model
    • Factors Influencing Resilience
      • Risk factors
      • Protective factors
        • Psychosocial protective factors
      • Self-Esteem
    • Developmental Outcomes of Resilience
  • Chapter 3 Method
    • Participants
    • Apparatus
    • Procedures
    • Data Analysis
  • Chapter 4 Results
    • Self-Esteem Ranking and Data Comparison
      • Heritage and parents’ heritage
      • First generation parents
      • Cultural knowledge
      • Self-identity and parental ethnic identification
      • Self-identity and identification with parents
      • Self-identity and role models
    • Ethnic Identity Levels and Data Comparison
      • Heritage and parents’ heritage
      • First generation parents
      • Culture knowledge
      • Self-identity and parental ethnic identification
      • Self-identity and identification with parents
      • Self-identity and role models
    • Comparison Between Self-Esteem Ranking and Ethnic Identity Levels
      • Self-esteem ranking
      • Ethnic identity levels
    • Identified Protective Factors
      • Personal Factors
      • Ethnic mixture
      • Ethnic heritage
    • Identity Factors
      • Positive and consistent labels from parents
      • Parental ethnic identity assignment
      • Identification with parents
    • Coping Skills
      • Ethnic identity discrepancy management
      • Identity fluctuation
    • Family Factors
      • First generation parent
      • Parents as role models
      • Extended family contact and acceptance
    • Social and Community Factors
      • Cultural knowledge
      • Peer acceptance
    • Potential Risk Factors
  • Chapter 5 Discussion
    • Protective Factors for Biracial Identity Development
    • Additional Protective Factors
    • Risk Factors and Resilience
    • Implications
    • Practical Applications
    • Limitations
    • Future Directions
    • Conclusion
  • References

List of Figures

  • Figure 1: Potential risk factors identified for biracial identity development
  • Figure 2: Protective factors identified for biracial identity development

List of Tables

  • Table 1: Self-Esteem, Heritage, Parents’ Heritage and Generation to United States
  • Table 2: Self-Esteem, Self-Identity, Parental’s Ethnic Identification and Cultural Knowledge
  • Table 3: Self-Esteem, Self-Identity, Role Model and Identified with Parent
  • Table 4: Ethnic Identity, Heritage, Parents’ Heritage and Generation to United States
  • Table 5: Minority-White Ethnic Identity, Heritage and Parents’ Heritage
  • Table 6: Minority-Minority Ethnic Identity, Heritage and Parents’ Heritage
  • Table 7: Ethnic Identity, Self-Identity, Parental Ethnic Identification and Cultural Knowledge
  • Table 8: Minority-White Ethnic Identity, Self-Identity, Parental Ethnic Identification and Cultural Knowledge
  • Table 9: Minority-Minority Ethnic Identity, Self-Identity, Parental Ethnic Identification and Cultural Knowledge
  • Table 10: Ethnic Identity, Self-Identity, Role Model and Identified with Parent
  • Table 11: Self-Esteem Ranking with Ethnic Identity Score
  • Table 12: Ethnic Identity Ranking with Self-Esteem Scores

List of Appendicies

  • Appendix A: Informed Consent Form
  • Appendix B: Demographic Questionnaire
  • Appendix C: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
  • Appendix D: Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure
  • Appendix E: Interview Guide

Purchase the dissertation here.

Tags: , ,