Gender, Development, Values, Adaptation, and Discrimination in Acculturating Adolescents: The Case of Turk Heritage Youth Born and Living in Belgium

The gender division of paid work over family formation: Variation by couples' migration background

Although the gender gap in labour force participation has narrowed considerably in many European countries, life course scholars have shown that the transition to parenthood exacerbates gender inequality in couples' division of paid work. Hitherto, variation by migration background has received limited attention in research on the effect of parenthood on couples' gender division of paid work. This is remarkable given that such heterogeneity is theoretically informative on differential interconnectedness of life course events, but may also inform policy makers on the life course transitions that induce migrant-native differentials in women's labour force participation. This study adopts a life course perspective and uses longitudinal microdata from Belgian social security registers to examine variation in couples' gender division of paid work around family formation by migration background. Taking into account couples' migration background - by considering the origin group and migrant generation of both partners - we identify four patterns of gender dynamics around family formation in couples where at least one partner is of migrant origin. These four patterns emerge from (dis)similarities with native couples with respect to their pre-birth division of paid work on the one hand and their changes in this division around family formation on the other hand. These results highlight that combining an account of couples' division of paid work prior to the birth of a first child with a perspective focussing on how the division of paid work changes around family formation is necessary for a thorough understanding of variation by migration background.

Perceiving refugees as threats may backfire on one’s health: Relations with intercultural antecedents and psychological distress among Germans

In the recent years, research on the conditions, under which members of the host countries such as Germany perceive refugees as threatening and respond with negative attitudes, has increased. However, little attention has been given to the implications that subjective perceptions of threat among the host community may have for their own psychological health. Using integrated threat theory, the current study examined the relationships between perceived threats, person-centered antecedents in intercultural settings, and psychological distress among Germans, who reflected on incoming refugees. Using a survey company, a sample (N = 1000) was recruited, which matched the German census regarding central demographics. Participants completed a cross-sectional online survey with validated self-report measures. Assessments covered four perceived threat types (intergroup anxiety, symbolic and realistic threat, negative stereotypes), person-related antecedents (social identity as German, quantity and quality of prior intercultural contact), and psychological distress. Applying structural equation modeling, we found that high social identification as German was related to greater perceptions of symbolic/realistic threat, stronger negative stereotypes and to more intergroup anxiety. Vice versa, high quality of prior intercultural contact experiences was associated with a decrease of all threat types. The quantity of prior intercultural contact showed almost no relations to perceived threats. In terms of indirect effects, greater quality of contact predicted less distress, and greater identity as German predicted more distress, both via symbolic/realistic threat and intergroup anxiety. Taken together, perceiving refugees as a threatening outgroup may signify a self-harming risk, while high quality of intercultural relations may indirectly enhance health.

Interpersonal Mindfulness, Intergroup Anxiety, and Intercultural Communication Effectiveness Among International Students Studying in Russia

In modern psychology, mindfulness is an important resource for psychological well-being and intergroup relations, but its role in intercultural communication effectiveness has not been sufficiently studied. This research aims to identify the interrelationship between interpersonal mindfulness, intergroup anxiety, and intercultural communication effectiveness among international students. The sample includes 337 (M_age = 22.93, SD = 3.11) international students (41.5% of females) from different countries studying in Russian Universities. Interpersonal mindfulness was measured using the Interpersonal Mindfulness Scale, Intergroup anxiety using ten items adapted from Stephan and Stephan and used in Gudykunst and Nishida, and Intercultural communication effectiveness using the eight items adapted from Gudykunst’s Perceived Effectiveness of Communication measure. Descriptive analysis, correlations, and mediation analyses were used to process the data. The research findings showed that interpersonal mindfulness has both a direct effect on intercultural communication effectiveness and a mediation effect on intercultural communication effectiveness through intergroup anxiety among the international students.

Juggling Between Parental and School Expectations: The Development of Domain-Specific Acculturation Orientations in Early Adolescence

We examined how perceived acculturation expectations from parents and school, and ethnic discrimination predicted early adolescents' heritage and mainstream acculturation orientations at home (private domain) and in school (public domain) one year later. We surveyed 263 early adolescents of immigrant background in Germany (Mage  = 10.44 years, 60% female). Multigroup path analyses revealed that perceived acculturation expectations and ethnic discrimination were more strongly related to adolescents' private than public acculturation orientations. Parental heritage expectations were the strongest predictor of adolescents' acculturation orientations. Boys were more susceptible than girls to ethnic discrimination and acculturation expectations in school, which affected their private and public acculturation orientations. Results highlight the importance of integrating domain-specific and gendered experiences when analyzing adolescents' acculturative development.

Acculturation and suicidal ideation among Turkish migrants in the Netherlands✰

More suicidal ideation and higher rates of attempted suicide are found in Turkish people when compared with the general population in Europe. Acculturation processes and related distress may explain an elevated risk of suicide. The current study investigates the association between acculturation and suicidal ideation among Turkish migrants in the Netherlands. The mediating effect of hopelessness and moderating effect of secure attachment are also examined. A total of 185 Turkish migrants living in the Netherlands were recruited through social media and through liaison with community groups. They completed an online survey including validated measures of suicidal ideation, hopelessness, acculturation and attachment style. Mediation and moderation analyses were tested using bootstrapping. Higher participation was associated with less hopelessness and less suicidal ideation. Greater maintenance of one's ethnic culture was associated with higher hopelessness and higher suicidal ideation. Greater participation was associated with less suicidal ideation particularly amongst those with less secure attachment styles. Turkish migrants who participate in the host culture may have a lower risk of developing suicidal thinking. Participation may protect against suicidal thinking, particularly among those with less secure attachment styles.

Religious Identity and Acculturation of Immigrant Minority Youth

Abstract. This review proposes an integrative contextual and developmental approach to religious identity development and acculturative adaptation among adolescents with an immigrant background. Relevant research with minority adolescents has addressed three main research questions: (1) What is distinctive about religious identity development in (Muslim) minority youth? (2) How does religious identity relate to their acculturative adaptation? and (3) What is the role of interpersonal and intercultural relations in specific acculturation contexts? In line with multiple developmental pathways in specific acculturation contexts, Muslim youth in Europe showed either stability or an increase in religious identification throughout adolescence, yet religious identity development varied greatly across religious communities and receiving societies. In support of the adaptive function of identity development in acculturating youth, (2) the religious identity of Muslim adolescents contributed positively to their psychological adaptation through the commitment to heritage culture values and identities; and it was either unrelated or conflicting with mainstream culture adoption and sociocultural adaptation, depending on specific acculturation contexts. Finally, religious identities reflect the bicultural social world of minority adolescents: strong and stable religious identities were premised on religious transmission in interpersonal relations with immigrant parents and minority peers. Moreover, religious identity conflict or compatibility with mainstream cultural values and identities was contingent on intercultural relations: perceived discrimination and Islamophobia fuel identity conflict in Muslim youth, whereas more harmonious intercultural relations enable compatible and adaptive pathways of religious identity.

Parenting in acculturation: two contemporary research designs and what they tell us

Massive population transfers are common today. To understand how immigrants negotiate variation and adjustment as they settle in a new culture, researchers have explored acculturation, the changes that individuals and groups undergo as a result of contact with a culture not their own. Parents have crucial roles to play in acculturation. Parenting is instantiated in cognitions and practices, and cognitions and practices of parents are multifaceted and influenced by many factors, including parents' own individual characteristics, their children, and their cultural experiences. This article describes, evaluates, and illustrates two unique research designs that are used today to study acculturation of parenting cognitions and practices. In one design, parenting in acculturating cultures in the same culture of destination are compared; in the second design, parents in a culture of origin, parents from that culture of origin acculturating to a new culture, and parents in that culture of destination are compared. Acculturation is one of the most prominent individual-difference constructs in contemporary psychology, and understanding parents' cognitions and practices is fundamental to understanding parenting and acculturation.

The Specificity Principle in Acculturation Science

The specificity principle in acculturation science asserts that specific setting conditions of specific people at specific times moderate specific domains in acculturation by specific processes. Our understanding of acculturation depends critically on what is studied where, in whom, how, and when. This article defines, explains, and illustrates the specificity principle in acculturation science. Research hypotheses about acculturation can be more adequately tested, inconsistencies and discrepancies in the acculturation literature can be satisfactorily resolved, acculturation interventions can be tailored to be more successful, and acculturation policies can be brought to new levels of effectiveness if the specificity principle that governs acculturation science is more widely recognized.

A Comparative Perspective on Mothers’ Ethnic Homophily Among Minority Groups in Germany and Israel

Despite beneficial effects of minority members’ contact with majority members, studies have repeatedly shown minorities’ tendency of having predominantly intraethnic social contacts, a phenomenon called ethnic homophily. This study aimed at examining ethnic homophily among mothers belonging to minority groups in Germany and Israel. Mothers from four minority groups participated. Groups were defined by level of societal segregation (higher vs. lower residential and cultural segregation of minority groups within a given society) and cultural distance to the majority society (close vs. distant in terms of religion and value similarity with majority population). We expected group differences, with ethnic homophily being highest among minority mothers living in more segregated societies with a large cultural distance to the majority population and vice versa. We also expected within-group variation, with higher levels of homophily being reported by women who use the majority language less frequently, have lower orientations toward natives, have higher orientations toward their own minority, and perceive higher levels of discrimination. The total sample included 1,223 mothers (ethnic German diaspora repatriates and Turks in Germany, Russian Jewish diaspora migrants, and Arabs in Israel). We assessed homophily in strong and weak social network ties. Results revealed the highest homophily (for weak and strong ties) among Israeli Arab mothers and lowest among ethnic German diaspora repatriate mothers with the two other groups located in between the two. Use of majority language emerged as rather universal predictor related to both outcomes in all minority groups, whereas minority and majority orientations were outcome or group specific, respectively.

Developmental Flexibility in the Age of Globalization: Autonomy and Identity Development Among Immigrant Adolescents

The socioeconomic and cultural changes that result from an increasingly interconnected world have been speculated to have important implications for the nature of adolescent development. Unfortunately, the historical time necessary for these changes to take place means that definitive research on the impact of globalization necessarily will be slow in forthcoming. Adolescents from immigrant families, however, already experience the social and cultural shifts thought to typify globalization, and an analysis of their experiences could shed light on what to expect as existing national barriers become more permeable. The value of flexibility in the face of great social and cultural change appears to be the dominant theme from research on immigrant youth, although that flexibility can be constrained by socioeconomic, ethnic, and racial stratification systems in host societies. This review highlights the implications of these findings for what may lie ahead for teenagers as globalization continues to expand.

Self-rated mental health and socio-economic background: a study of adolescents in Sweden

BACKGROUND

Adolescents' mental health is a major public health issue. Previous research has shown that socio-economic factors contribute to the health status of adolescents. The present study explores the association between socio-economic status and self-rated mental health among adolescents.

METHODS

Cross sectional data from the Halmstad Youth Quality of Life cohort was collected in a town in Sweden. In all, 948 adolescents (11-13 younger age group and 14-16 older age group) participated. Information on self-rated mental health was collected from the subscale Psychological functioning in the Minneapolis Manchester Quality of Life instrument. The items were summarized into a total score and dichotomized by the mean. Indicators measuring socio-economic status (SES) were collected in a questionnaire using the Family Affluence Scale (FAS) and additional factors regarding parents' marital status and migration were added. Logistic models were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Girls were more likely to rate their mental health below the mean compared to boys. With regard to FAS (high, medium, low), there was a significantly increased risk of self-rated mental health below the mean among younger boys in the medium FAS score OR; 2.68 (95% CI 1.35;5.33) and among older boys in the low FAS score OR; 2.37 (1.02;5.52) compared to boys in the high FAS score. No such trend was seen among girls. For younger girls there was a significant protective association between having parents born abroad and self-rated mental health below mean OR: 0.47 (0.24;0.91).

CONCLUSIONS

A complex pattern of associations between SES and self-rated mental health, divergent between age and gender groups, was shown. The total FAS score was only associated with boys' self-rated mental health in both age groups, whereas parents' migratory status influenced only the girls' self-rated mental health. Because of the different association for girls' and boys' self-rated mental health and SES, other factors than SES should also be considered when investigating and exploring the mental health of adolescents in affluent communities.

Contextualizing Religious Acculturation

Given the growing presence of Islam in Europe, we developed a research program articulating minority perspectives on acculturation and religion among self-identified Muslims across Europe. Integrating different cross-cultural perspectives on religious acculturation, we ask how acculturation contexts and processes affect the religiosity of Muslims (a) across heritage and mainstream cultures, (b) across different acculturating groups, and (c) across different receiving societies. Based on various large-scale datasets, collected among (young) Muslim populations from different ethnic backgrounds in four European countries, we conclude that religious decline in European societies is largely absent. A comparison across cultures of origin and destination suggests the reaffirmation of religion in acculturating youth, who are more strongly identified with their religion than comparison groups in both mainstream and heritage cultures. Cross-ethnic comparisons indicate that religious socialization is most effective in more cohesive acculturating groups. Finally, cross-national comparisons provide evidence of more strict forms of religiosity in societies with less welcoming intergroup climates. Together, the cross-cultural findings extend a well-established bi-dimensional conceptualization of acculturation to the religious domain.

Parenting in an Individualistic Culture with a Collectivistic Cultural Background: The Case of Turkish Immigrant Families with Toddlers in the Netherlands

Expanding our knowledge on parenting practices of immigrant families is crucial for designing culturally sensitive parenting intervention programs in countries with high immigration rates. We investigated differences in patterns of parenting between second-generation immigrant and native families with young children. Authoritarian and authoritative control and sensitivity of second-generation Turkish immigrant mothers of 2-year-old children (n = 70) and native Dutch mothers (n = 70) were observed in the home and in the laboratory. Controlling for maternal age and education, Turkish immigrant mothers were less supportive, gave less clear instructions to their children, were more intrusive and were less authoritative in their control strategies than native Dutch mothers. No differences were found in authoritarian control. In both ethnic groups supportive presence, clarity of instruction, authoritative control, and low intrusiveness loaded on one factor. No differences between ethnic groups were found in gender-differentiated parenting. Maternal emotional connectedness to the Turkish culture was associated with less authoritative control, whereas more use of the Turkish language was related to more sensitivity. Even though mean level differences in parenting behaviors still exist between second-generation Turkish immigrant and native Dutch mothers, the patterns of associations between parenting behaviors were comparable for both groups. This suggests that existing parenting interventions for native families may be applicable to second-generation Turkish immigrants as well.