EAPSI: Multicultural identity integration and conflict resolution

Huff Sarah E, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, about 40 million people in the United States are foreign-born. Moreover, recent globalization is not a uniquely American phenomenon; the number of people living with multiple cultural identities has greatly increased across the globe. As a result, an increasing number of individuals persistently face the challenge of navigating between multiple cultural identities. This research will focus on how individuals negotiate their multiple identities. This project will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Ying-yi Hong, one of the eminent scholars in the field of multicultural identity, at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Singapore is considered one of the most multicultural nations in the world, and thus an ideal location for studying multicultural identity. This research will measure how cognitive styles facilitate integration of multiple cultural identities and how people manage conflicts between identities. In Study 1, participants will complete a task that measures ability to resolve conflict, as well as self-reported measures of multicultural identity integration. The relationship between these two measures will be tested. In Study 2, the relationship between multicultural identity integration and the resolution of intrapersonal (role) conflicts will be measured. In this study, participants will be presented with a series of hypothetical role conflicts and asked to generate solutions to these conflicts. For example, a working student may be presented with the conflict of staying late at work or going home to study for finals. The influence of an individual's cultural identity integration on their solutions will be measured. Finally, both studies will investigate whether participants' impressions of certain characteristics of Singapore influence how they adapt to the culture. In conclusion, this research seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms and outcomes of multicultural identity integration and how these processes are moderated by perceptions of the cultural context. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the National Research Foundation of Singapore.