Relation between Ethnic Identity and Multicultural Attitudes for Latina

1. Relation between Ethnic Identity and Multicultural Attitudes for Latina/o Students

3. Abstract Multicultural attitudes facilitate positive intergroup relations, and both ethnic identity and exposure to diversity have been theorized to influence multicultural attitudes. The purpose of this study was to assess the relations between ethnic identity, pre-college diversity experiences and multicultural attitudes among 133 Latina/o incoming first-year students at a large, mid-Atlantic, public university. Results revealed a positive relation between ethnic identity and multicultural attitudes, and revealed pre-college diversity experiences as a moderator of the relation between multicultural attitudes and ethnic identity. Findings support the multiculturalism view of intergroup attitudes and provide key implications for student counseling and educational programs.

4. Introduction Intergroup relations among students from differing racial/ethnic backgrounds implicate complex interactions between developmental, social, and contextual factors. Importance of multicultural attitudes: Previous research demonstrates that multicultural attitudes facilitate positive intergroup relations (Berry, 1984).

5. Introduction cont… Contextual variables such as ethnic identity and exposure to diversity have been shown to influence the development of multicultural attitudes (Helms, 1990; Phinney, 1993). Two approaches to understanding the relation between ethnic identity and multicultural attitudes include: Multicultural Approach: The multicultural view suggests that a positive and secure sense of one’s own cultural group sets the mindset for positive views toward other cultural groups (Berry, 1984; Multiculturalism Hypothesis). Developmental Approach: The developmental view posits that a more secure ethnic or racial identity is associated with greater acceptance of other groups. As individuals become more confident in their own group membership, they develop more positive attitudes toward other groups (Helms, 1990; Phinney, 1993).

6. Current Study Purpose: Examine the relation between pre-college experiences with diversity, ethnic identity, and multicultural attitudes. Examine the moderating role of pre-college experiences with diversity on the relation between ethnic identity and multicultural attitudes. Expected Relationships: Both ethnic identity and pre-college experiences with diversity will correlate positively with multicultural attitudes. Pre-college experiences with diversity will moderate the relation between ethnic identity and multicultural attitudes.

7. Why Latina/o Students? Previous research suggests that minority students, relative to their majority counterparts, have more favorable out-group views as well as more exposure to diversity (Engberg, Meader, & Hurtado, 2003). Much of the literature on intergroup attitudes focuses on Black-White relations (Phinney et al., 1997), while the steadily growing (Fry, 2002) Latina/o college student population has received relatively little attention. As a cultural group, Latina/os have been described as culturally interdependent and group-oriented thus are likely to be higher on ethnic identity (Phinney et al., 1997).

8. Method Participants 133 Latina/o incoming first-year students at a large, mid-Atlantic, public university. Mean Age: 18 years (range 17-19) Gender: 51% men, 49% women Nationality: 66% other Hispanic/Spanish, Latina/o 16% Puerto Rican 9% Mexican American/Chicano 9% Cuban Parental Income: 47% middle income, 23% high income, 17% low income, 13% did not report Procedure The data were collected from the 2007 University New Student Census, a 230-item survey addressing incoming first-year students’ attitudinal, behavioral and demographic characteristics. The survey contains both psychometrically developed scales and a variety of demographic items. Approximately ninety-three percent of all incoming first-year students completed the survey.

9. Method Instruments Pre-college Experiences with Diversity: Composite of two subscales selected from the Diverse Democracy Questionnaire (DDQ; Hurtado, Engberg, Ponjuan, Landreman, 2002): Diversity of High School Discrimination/Racial Conflict of High School Ethnic Identity: Affirmation and Belonging subscale of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (Phinney, 1992). Multicultural Attitudes: Other-Group Orientation scale of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (Phinney, 1992).

10. Table 1.Summary Statistics and Intercorrelations among Ethnic Identity, Pre-College Diversity Experiences, and Multicultural Attitudes

11. Table 2.Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis of Pre-College Diversity Experiences and Ethnic Identity on Multicultural Attitudes

12. Figure 1.Relationship between Ethnic Identity and Multicultural Attitudes for students LOW on Pre-College Diversity Experiences

13. Figure 2.Relationship between Ethnic Identity and Multicultural Attitudes for Students HIGH on Pre-College Diversity Experiences

14. Summary of Findings Positive relation between ethnic identity and multicultural attitudes. Pre-college diversity experiences moderated this relation such that for students: Low on pre-college diversity experiences there was a positive relation between ethnic identity and multicultural attitudes. High on pre-college diversity experiences there was no relation between ethnic identity and multicultural attitudes.

15. Discussion The current study extends the literature by supporting the moderating effect of exposure to diversity on the relation between ethnic identity and multicultural attitudes. Current findings provide evidence for the multiculturalism view of intergroup attitudes. This is important as this view provides the basis for many student counseling and educational programs. Exposure to diversity is key in the relation between ethnic identity and multicultural attitudes, particularly for students who have had little exposure to racial/ethnic diversity. Counselors may want to promote ethnic identity development for students with little diversity exposure.

16. Limitations Restricted range on cultural variables. Drawback: Effect size coefficient may underestimate the true relation between multicultural attitudes and ethnic identity for the HIGH pre-college diversity experiences subgroup. Future studies may want to assess multicultural attitudes toward specific ethnic groups.

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