Cultural Identity and the Academic, Social, and Psychological Adjustment of Adolescents with Immigration Background

As Western societies become more ethnically and culturally diverse, understanding the acculturation of immigrant youth is essential for fostering social cohesion. How the cultural identity formation of ethnic minority adolescents relates to their academic, social, and psychological adjustment is an important and as yet unresolved research question. This study examined to what extent identifying with the heritage and/or host culture is an individual resource or risk factor for the adjustment of immigrant youth in Germany. A random sample of 15-17-year-olds (N = 1992; Mage_w1 = 15.3 years, SD = 0.64; 44.5% girls; 44.7% students with immigrant background) was assessed twice: at the end of 9th and 10th grade. Academic performance and three dimensions of social/psychological adjustment (school attachment, self-esteem, and life satisfaction) were examined. Results showed that biculturalism was the modal identification pattern. Contrary to expectations, cultural identification did not differ systematically with perceived distance from the majority culture. Multivariate structural equation modeling revealed that both heritage and host identification can be developmental resources, but that their effects are dependent on the dimension of adjustment; biculturalism only proved to be a cumulative resource for school attachment. The domain specificity of the findings challenges the generalization claims of predominant acculturation theories.

Art Therapy Interventions for Syrian Child and Adolescent Refugees: Enhancing Mental Well-being and Resilience

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This critical review primarily aims to conduct a comprehensive assessment of recent studies conducted within the past 3 years, with a specific focus on the use of art therapy within Syrian child and adolescent refugee populations. The central objective of this inquiry is to explore the impact of art therapy interventions and provide critical insights into their effectiveness in enhancing the mental well-being and resilience of these young refugees.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent research conducted within the past 3 years highlights the effectiveness of art therapy as an intervention strategy within Syrian child and adolescent refugee populations. These studies emphasize that art therapy offers a safe and supportive space for these young refugees to express emotions, process trauma, and improve their psychological well-being. It has shown promise in mitigating trauma-related challenges and fostering resilience among this group of refugee populations. Furthermore, art therapy plays a crucial role in preserving cultural identities and has proven to be versatile and adaptable to various artistic modalities. These findings underscore the potential of art therapy as a valuable tool for supporting the mental well-being and resilience of Syrian children and adolescent refugees, warranting further exploration and integration into their care and support programs. Recent studies on the use of art therapy within Syrian child and adolescent refugee communities reveal its potential as a powerful intervention strategy for enhancing mental well-being and resilience in this vulnerable population. The review identifies six key themes, highlighting the therapeutic benefits and versatility of art therapy. As we move forward, these findings offer promising future directions for research and practice in art therapy with this specific group of refugees, emphasizing the need for continued exploration and integration of this approach in supporting Syrian child and adolescent refugees.

Can AI-generated art stimulate the sustainability of intangible cultural heritage? A quantitative research on cultural and creative products of New Year Prints generated by AI

The transformation of social development modes has led to profound changes in the pattern of intangible cultural heritage, while simultaneously posing significant challenges to its preservation. The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has brought new development opportunities in various research fields. This study intends, by constructing and evaluating a theoretical model, to investigate whether AI-generated cultural and creative products can promote the sustainability of intangible cultural heritage. The central focus of this research is to measure the effectiveness of AI technologies in promoting the sustainability of intangible cultural heritage. The context of the research design is rooted in the attention, interest, search, action, and share (AISAS) model, incorporating theories of perceived value and cultural identity, to forecast the long-term viability of AI-generated cultural and creative products in the promotion of intangible cultural heritage. This research was conducted in Tianjin, China and carried out using quantitative methods, a questionnaire survey, and the accidental sampling method, taking a sample of 291 participants for analysis. The results show that 1) the attraction of and interest and participation in AI-generated Yangliuqing New Year Print cultural and creative products have a positive effect on perceived value; 2) the purchase and sharing of these products have a positive impact on cultural identity; 3) the perceived value has a positive impact on cultural identity; and 4) cultural identity has a positive impact on the sustainability of intangible cultural heritage. This study contributes to the theoretical development and practical application of the AISAS model and offers valuable insights into the future development trajectory of intangible cultural heritage, thereby promoting its sustainability. The limitations of this study are its small sample size and geographical restrictions. In future studies, the sample size will be expanded and will include more regions for data analysis.

Interpreting Microaggression as a Determinant of Wellbeing

Despite the increasing interest in exploring microaggression in the humanitarian context, there remains uncertainty on its mechanism for affecting life outcomes. There is a lack of studies on ethnic and racial minorities in non-western countries. The current research explores dimensions and manifestations of microaggression and how they affect wellbeing in a multicultural setting. The study uses a qualitative approach with 15 focus group discussions (FGDs) and 66 participants conducted in 4 provinces of South Africa: Gauteng (k = 6), North-West (k = 3), KwaZulu-Natal (k = 3), and Western Cape (k = 3). The recorded FGDs were transcribed using the intelligent verbatim technique. The transcripts were then analysed using a phenomenological approach. Data analysis was done stepwise using the deductive coding technique. Results show that participants' perception of the dimensions of microaggression varies depending on the manifestation as verbal, behavioural, or systemic. Furthermore, variations in patterns and reactions to dimensions of microaggression were linked with participants' racial identity. It further confirms that experiencing discrimination is associated with poorer wellbeing. Connectedness to the ingroup provides stability and certainty in multi-group societies due to the group rivalry that pervades such societies.

Identity Process and Content

Cultural identity, which represents the degree to which individuals define themselves with the cultural groups to which they belong, is a particularly salient developmental task for ethnic/racial minoritized youth. Two important identity domains of cultural identity, ethnic-racial and U.S. identity, have been consistently associated with psychological and academic adjustment. That said, the majority of this research has been variable centered, limiting the capacity to understand the specific developmental configurations of ethnic/racial and U.S. identity. Addressing this gap, the current study utilized latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify unique profiles of ethnic/racial identity and U.S. identity across process and content dimensions among a sample of 376 Hispanic/Latinx college students (M_age = 20.58, SD = 2.69) and examine the separate and joint links between ethnic/racial and U.S. identity profile membership and adjustment. The LPA identified three similar profiles for ethnic/racial identity (i.e., Diffused/Negative, Diffused/Neutral, and Developed/Positive), U.S. identity (Diffused/Negative, Diffused/Positive, and Developed/Positive), and ethnic/racial and U.S. identity (i.e., Diffused/Negative, Diffused/Neutral, and Bicultural), highlighting that ethnic/racial and U.S. identity not only share parallel dimensionality but manifest themselves remarkably similar in their configuration across process and content dimensions. Separately, individuals classified in a Developed/Positive profile reported the highest levels of adjustment. Jointly, individuals classified as Bicultural (60.49%) exhibited the highest levels of adjustment. The findings highlight the benefit of a positive bicultural identity that embraces both domains of cultural identity.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women's body image: A qualitative study

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples refer to the traditional owners of Australia and have the oldest continuing culture in the world. Body image has scarcely been investigated among adult Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) women, despite evidence that racism and colourism broadly contribute to adverse psychological outcomes for this population. Therefore, we conducted a qualitative study investigating Indigenous womens' body image with specific focus on racism, colourism, and cultural identity. Sixteen Indigenous women completed individual interviews or took part in group yarns - a culturally sanctioned method of information sharing. A reflexive thematic analysis generated three themes: (i) Dominant beauty ideals in Australia exclude Indigenous women and are informed by colonisation and stereotypes of what Indigenous women "should" look like, (ii) Variations in Indigenous women's identities and appearances influences the types of discrimination that they receive and impacts their sense of belonging, and (iii) A change journey occurs over time towards body acceptance which is informed by changes in understandings of body image and cultural identity. Broadly, participants described racism and colourism as negatively impacting their body image. Importantly, developing a strong cultural identity mitigated these impacts by facilitating both a sense of belonging and body acceptance - highlighting a potential protective factor.

Tools to Craft a Cultural Formulation

Clinicians should strive to understand every patient from their own perspective. The authors present tools to help patients narrate their own experiences and elaborate on the context of their symptoms, allowing clinicians to appreciate the cultural influences on a patient and how that affects their symptomatology. This knowledge can then be crafted into a nuanced cultural formulation of the patient, with the goals of not only better understanding the patient's specific, intersectional context but also guiding treatment planning. As a result, the patient is evaluated in a holistic manner, and their specific needs are central in their care.

Cultural Dynamics, Substance Use, and Resilience Among American Indian/Alaska Native Emerging Adults in Urban Areas

Identity development during emerging adulthood helps lay down the structure of values, social bonds, and decision-making patterns that help determine adult outcomes, including patterns of substance use. Managing cultural identity may pose unique challenges for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) emerging adults in "urban" areas (away from tribal lands or reservations), who are relatively isolated from social and cultural connections. This isolation is in turn a product of cultural genocide and oppression, both historically and in the present day. This paper uses qualitative data from 13 focus groups with urban AI/AN emerging adults, parents, and providers to explore how cultural dynamics are related to substance use outcomes for urban AI/AN emerging adults. We found that cultural isolation as well as ongoing discrimination presents challenges to negotiating cultural identity, and that the AI/AN social and cultural context sometimes presented risk exposures and pathways for substance use. However, we also found that culture provided a source of strength and resilience for urban AI/AN emerging adults, and that specific cultural values and traditions - such as mindfulness, connection to nature, and a deep historical and cosmological perspective - offer "binding pathways" for positive behavioral health. We conclude with two suggestions for substance use prevention and intervention for this population: (1) incorporate these "binding pathways" for health and resilience explicitly into intervention materials; (2) emphasize and celebrate emerging adulthood itself as a sacred cultural transition.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42844-022-00058-w.

Cultural identity central to Native American persistence in science

Native Americans are the least represented population in science fields. In recent years, undergraduate and graduate level summer research programs that aimed to increase the number of Native Americans in science have made some progress. As new programs are designed, key characteristics that address science self-efficacy and science identity and provide supports for Native American students' commitment to a scientific career should be considered. In this study, we used sequential mixed methods to investigate the potential of culturally tailored internship programs on Native American persistence in science. We analyzed surveys (n = 47) and interviews (n = 4) with Native American students to understand their perceptions of themselves in relation to science research and how summer research experiences might develop science identities. Based on regression modeling, science identity, but not science self-efficacy, predicted intent to persist in science. In turn, science self-efficacy and Native American identity predicted science identity, and this suggests cultural identity is central to Native American persistence in science. In interviews, students' comments reinforced these findings and shed light on students' reasoning about the kinds of science experiences they sought; specifically, they chose to participate in culturally tailored internships because these programs provided a sense of belonging to the scientific community that did not conflict with their cultural identities. Based on our analysis, we propose an Indigenous science internship model and recommend that agencies target funding for culturally tailored programs from high school through early-investigator levels as well as provide inclusive programmatic and mentoring guidelines.

Experiences and well-being among Indigenous former youth in care within Canada

BACKGROUND

Research indicates that a healthy cultural identity is associated with positive outcomes including increased self-esteem, academic achievement, and higher reports of satisfying family interactions.

OBJECTIVE

This retrospective study explored the experiences of intergenerational trauma, cultural connections, and identity among Indigenous former youth in child welfare care of the Ontario government.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Participants self-identified as Indigenous (First Nations, Status and non-Status; Metis; Inuit), had a history of being in child welfare care and had never been adopted. Each participant in this research study reflected on the influence of intergenerational trauma and being in child welfare care in the development of their cultural identities.

METHODS

This study utilized a blend of traditional grounded theory, constructivist grounded theory, relational worldview model and a two-eyed seeing approach.

RESULTS

Overall findings indicate the importance of cultural connections, having a purpose and meaning in life that links to cultural identity and spirituality as critical elements in the pathways from trauma to well-being. These findings reflect Indigenous reclamations of traditional belief systems, practices, languages, and cultures in order to overcome personal experiences and problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Many Indigenous communities are taking active steps to find children lost in the child welfare system, to care for these children, and to rekindle cultural identity for them. With the goals of healing, reconciliation and cultural restoration, it is imperative that child welfare agencies support the development of positive cultural identity, spirituality, and connection to cultural communities for Indigenous children, youth, and their families.

[Ethnicity and immigration status: How are they associated with work and depressive symptoms?]

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this research is to determine whether, in the Canadian workforce, cultural identity traits, particularly ethnicity and immigrant status, might modify the association of work with depressive symptoms.

METHOD

Data were derived from the nine cycles of the National Population Health Survey (NPHS) conducted by Statistics Canada. Based on a sample of 6477 workers, multilevel regression models were brought into being. Analyses were adjusted for family-related factors, non-work social support, and personal characteristics.

RESULTS

After accounting for potential confounders, ethnicity and work-related factors were distinctly and directly associated with depressive symptoms. Workers belonging to visible minorities had significantly fewer depressive symptoms than their Caucasian counterparts. Unlike Caucasians, they were more often overqualified, less in a position to use their skills, and largely without decision-making authority. On the other hand, all analyses having to do with immigrant status led to inconclusive results.

CONCLUSION

Ethnicity seems to have some bearing on the association of work with depressive symptoms among members of the Canadian workforce. It might be beneficial to carry out targeted interventions aimed at improving working conditions according to ethnicity and situations involving professional overqualification.

Directional Effects in Cultural Identity: A Family Systems Approach for Immigrant Latinx Families

Although there is a substantial body of work focusing on the processes underlying cultural identity in general, less is known regarding how these processes might operate within the context of Latinx families. Moreover, among the limited research that has included the adolescent and caregiver cultural identity, most of the research has primarily focused on how caregivers influence their adolescent's cultural identity. In the present study, the directional pathways between recently immigrated adolescents' and caregivers' ethnic and U.S. identity belonging were examined using data from a longitudinal study of acculturation and identity development among recently arrived Latinx immigrant families. The sample consisted of 302 primary caregivers (M_age = 41.09, SD = 7.13 at baseline; 67.5% mothers) and their adolescents (M_age = 14.51, SD = 0.88 at baseline; 46.7% female). The results indicated that caregivers' ethnic identity belonging significantly predicted adolescents' ethnic identity belonging over time. At the same time, adolescents' ethnic identity negatively predicted caregivers' ethnic identity belonging over time, whereas adolescents' U.S. identity belonging positively predicted caregivers' later ethnic identity belonging. The findings indicate that immigrant caregivers may retain their native culture to direct and respond to their children's changing cultural identifications.

Identification with ancestral culture is associated with fewer internalizing problems among older Naskapi adolescents

The manifestations of externalizing and internalizing behaviors among minority adolescents might best be understood by examining their relation to culturally specific factors, such as cultural identity, as well as to factors that seem to be relevant across cultures, such as age and gender. In this study, we examined the roles of age and gender in moderating the relation between self-reported cultural identity and externalizing and internalizing problems and the interaction between Indigenous and Mainstream cultural identity in relation to problematic behaviors. The participants included 61 students (32 female) with a mean age of 14.5 years (SD = 1.69) from a Naskapi reserve in Quebec, Canada. Age moderated the relation between identification with Indigenous culture and internalizing symptomatology. Indigenous and Mainstream cultural identity did not interact in predicting internalizing or externalizing problems. Consistent with the available evidence regarding the centrality of identity in adolescent development, the magnitude of the inverse relation between identification with Indigenous culture and number of clinical internalizing symptoms appears to increase in significance later in adolescence. The lack of an interaction between Indigenous and Mainstream cultural identity in relation to internalizing and externalizing problems suggests that it is the need to consider both cultures individually without the assumption that one negates the other.

Achieving water security in rural Indian Himalayas: A participatory account of challenges and potential solutions

The complex and diverse factors that influence water security in the Indian Himalayan Region were examined using problem and solution tree (PAST) mapping together with a field study. Five PASTs, each constructed by a different group of stakeholders, namely the state government, the local government, researchers, development agencies, and the local community, were analysed to obtain a holistic and multi-sectoral understanding of water security in the region, and the analysis was supplemented with field data. The systematic study helped in (1) identifying many factors - climatic, geographical, cultural, and socio-economic - that influence water security, (2) assessing their impacts on mountain livelihoods, and (3) documenting thirty-two potential interventions in the form of adaptations (e.g. springshed management programme) and coping strategies (e.g. buying water from informal water markets) to strengthen water security. These strategies followed three main themes namely conserving water resources, improving rural livelihood and sustainable infrastructure development and risk management. The study also helped in building a shared sense of understanding, purpose, and action between the diverse groups of stakeholders. The study suggests that ensuring water security in rural mountain areas requires holistic and multi-sectoral policies, which should be developed by including all actors in the network of stakeholders; that local conditions be given utmost importance in the policy planning cycle (e.g. focus on springs in mountains); and that cultural landscape and local identities be closely examined to reduce the inequalities in access to resources.

Acculturation, identity distress, and internalizing symptoms among resettled adolescent refugees

INTRODUCTION

This study examines the relations among native and host country acculturation, identity distress, and internalizing symptoms among multicultural adolescent refugees (N = 33) resettled to the United States from a range of countries including Cuba, Iraq, Jordan, Haiti, Colombia, and Venezuela. Despite previous research supporting the advantages of developing a bicultural style to acculturation, mixed results have been found regarding native and host country acculturation patterns among resettled refugees and how these patterns may be associated with refugee mental health outcomes.

METHODS

The objective of this study was not only to consider the roles that US and native acculturation may play on the self-report of identity distress and internalizing symptoms among refugee adolescents more broadly, but also to consider the role various dimensions of acculturation (e.g., cultural identity, language competence, and cultural competence) may play for refugee adolescents post-resettlement.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The study findings indicate that native acculturation, and more specifically native cultural identity, may serve as significant protective factors against identity distress among adolescent refugees post-resettlement, with native cultural identity additionally serving as a protective factor against internalizing symptoms. US acculturation was not found to be significantly associated with identity distress or internalizing symptoms, nor were the acculturative dimensions of language learning (i.e., English and native language competencies), cultural knowledge (i.e., US and native cultural knowledge competencies), or US cultural identity. Recommendations and implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Finding Common Ground in the Context of Difference: A South African Case Study

In a rapidly transforming world, cultural assimilation and the hybridity of clients and therapists are increasingly acknowledged. Juxtaposed against universalist and relativist discourses in Cultural Psychiatry, the elucidation of perceived "difference" from cultural norms, constructed as being observed in the lives of either the client, or therapist, or both, requires critical reflection on how such norms are derived and by whom. This cultural case study describes a clinical encounter between a Muslim South African woman, and a South African man of Afrikaner descent. A shared experience of marginalization led to surprising similarities and common ground against obvious cultural differences, which have contributed to the strengthening of the therapeutic relationship and consolidation of trust. Beside the more parsimonious focus on "shared marginalization" as a potential bridge to move towards transcending overt cultural differences, the case study's emphasis on a shared humanity within the interwoven texture of perceived difference go beyond dichotomous discourses that sharply dissect "sameness" from "otherness". This may well have relevance to any clinical encounter in which identity is dynamically presented and re-presented in complex ways.

Assessment of culture and environment in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study: Rationale, description of measures, and early data

Neurodevelopmental maturation takes place in a social environment in addition to a neurobiological one. Characterization of social environmental factors that influence this process is therefore an essential component in developing an accurate model of adolescent brain and neurocognitive development, as well as susceptibility to change with the use of marijuana and other drugs. The creation of the Culture and Environment (CE) measurement component of the ABCD protocol was guided by this understanding. Three areas were identified by the CE Work Group as central to this process: influences relating to CE Group membership, influences created by the proximal social environment, influences stemming from social interactions. Eleven measures assess these influences, and by time of publication, will have been administered to well over 7,000 9-10 year-old children and one of their parents. Our report presents baseline data on psychometric characteristics (mean, standard deviation, range, skewness, coefficient alpha) of all measures within the battery. Effectiveness of the battery in differentiating 9-10 year olds who were classified as at higher and lower risk for marijuana use in adolescence was also evaluated. Psychometric characteristics on all measures were good to excellent; higher vs. lower risk contrasts were significant in areas where risk differentiation would be anticipated.

Cultural Identity Among Afghan and Iraqi Traumatized Refugees: Towards a Conceptual Framework for Mental Health Care Professionals

Cultural identity in relation with mental health is of growing interest in the field of transcultural psychiatry. However, there is a need to clarify the concept of cultural identity in order to make it useful in clinical practice. The purpose of this study is to unravel the complexity and many layers of cultural identity, and to assess how stress and acculturation relate to (changes in) cultural identity. As part of a larger study about cultural identity, trauma, and mental health, 85 patients from Afghanistan and Iraq in treatment for trauma-related disorders were interviewed with a Brief Cultural Interview. The interviews were analysed through qualitative data analysis using the procedures of grounded theory. The analysis resulted in three domains of cultural identity: personal identity, ethnic identity and social identity. Within each domain relationships with stress and acculturation were identified. The results offer insight into the intensity of changes in cultural identity, caused by pre-and post-migration stressors and the process of acculturation. Based on the research findings recommendations are formulated to enhance the cultural competency of mental health workers.

Is Integration Always most Adaptive? The Role of Cultural Identity in Academic Achievement and in Psychological Adaptation of Immigrant Students in Germany

Immigrant adaptation research views identification with the mainstream context as particularly beneficial for sociocultural adaptation, including academic achievement, and identification with the ethnic context as particularly beneficial for psychological adaptation. A strong identification with both contexts is considered most beneficial for both outcomes (integration hypothesis). However, it is unclear whether the integration hypothesis applies in assimilative contexts, across different outcomes, and across different immigrant groups. This study investigates the association of cultural identity with several indicators of academic achievement and psychological adaptation in immigrant adolescents (N = 3894, 51% female, M _age= 16.24, SD _age = 0.71) in Germany. Analyses support the integration hypothesis for aspects of psychological adaptation but not for academic achievement. Moreover, for some outcomes, findings vary across immigrant groups from Turkey (n = 809), the former Soviet Union (n = 712), and heterogeneous other countries (n = 2373). The results indicate that the adaptive potential of identity integration is limited in assimilative contexts, such as Germany, and that it may vary across different outcomes and groups. As each identification is positively associated with at least one outcome, however, both identification dimensions seem to be important for the adaptation of immigrant adolescents.

The impact of indigenous cultural identity and cultural engagement on violent offending

BACKGROUND

Possessing a strong cultural identity has been shown to protect against mental health symptoms and buffer distress prompted by discrimination. However, no research to date has explored the protective influences of cultural identity and cultural engagement on violent offending. This paper investigates the relationships between cultural identity/engagement and violent recidivism for a cohort of Australian Indigenous people in custody.

METHODS

A total of 122 adults from 11 prisons in the state of Victoria completed a semi-structured interview comprising cultural identification and cultural engagement material in custody. All official police charges for violent offences were obtained for participants who were released from custody into the community over a period of 2 years.

RESULTS

No meaningful relationship between cultural identity and violent recidivism was identified. However a significant association between cultural engagement and violent recidivism was obtained. Further analyses demonstrated that this relationship was significant only for participants with a strong Indigenous cultural identity. Participants with higher levels of cultural engagement took longer to violently re-offend although this association did not reach significance.

CONCLUSIONS

For Australian Indigenous people in custody, 'cultural engagement' was significantly associated with non-recidivism. The observed protective impact of cultural engagement is a novel finding in a correctional context. Whereas identity alone did not buffer recidivism directly, it may have had an indirect influence given its relationship with cultural engagement. The findings of the study emphasize the importance of culture for Indigenous people in custody and a greater need for correctional institutions to accommodate Indigenous cultural considerations.

The role of Nucularia perrinii Batt. (Chenopodiaceae) in the camel-based Sahrawi social-ecological system

BACKGROUND

Pastoral social-ecological systems (SESs) are adaptive and complex systems rooted in the extensive exploitation of forage plants for livestock-based livelihoods and culture. There are species and relations that are foundational to the existence of these SESs. Nucularia perrinii Batt. (Chenopodiaceae) is an endemic halophyte plant of central and western Sahara seldom cited in the scientific literature. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of this plant in the SES of the Sahrawi camel nomads of Western Sahara.

METHODS

The data analyzed were collected in the Sahrawi refugee camps of Algeria and in Western Sahara between 2006 and 2010. Fieldwork included semi-structured (n = 38) and retrospective (n = 12) interviews with Sahrawi refugees, nomads, and camel owners about N. perrinii and associated topics (e.g. distribution, importance for camels, camel diseases, associated grazing practices, other forage plants, etc.).

RESULTS

Askaf, as the Sahrawi call the plant, is crucial to camels' survival, providing salts and water even during dry spells. It holds a pivotal role in the Sahrawi culture, defining the geographical boundaries of the Sahrawi SES and relating the grazing territory with the taste it gives to camel milk, which support the inclusion of askaf as a main element of Sahrawi cultural identity.

CONCLUSIONS

We argue that N. perrinii ties the ecology of the western Sahara desert with camel husbandry and associated livelihoods, and further with the culture and worldview of the Sahrawi nomads. We stress the keystone role that some forage plants may have in extensive pastoral SESs worldwide.

Cultural Identity Among Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Youth: Implications for Alcohol and Drug Use

American Indian / Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth exhibit high rates of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use, which is often linked to the social and cultural upheaval experienced by AI/ANs during the colonization of North America. Urban AI/AN youth may face unique challenges, including increased acculturative stress due to lower concentrations of AI/AN populations in urban areas. Few existing studies have explored cultural identity among urban AI/AN youth and its association with AOD use. This study used systematic qualitative methods with AI/AN communities in two urban areas within California to shed light on how urban AI/AN youth construct cultural identity and how this relates to AOD use and risk behaviors. We conducted 10 focus groups with a total of 70 youth, parents, providers, and Community Advisory Board members and used team-based structured thematic analysis in the Dedoose software platform. We identified 12 themes: intergenerational stressors, cultural disconnection, AI/AN identity as protective, pan-tribal identity, mixed racial-ethnic identity, rural vs. urban environments, the importance of AI/AN institutions, stereotypes and harassment, cultural pride, developmental trajectories, risks of being AI/AN, and mainstream culture clash. Overall, youth voiced curiosity about their AI/AN roots and expressed interest in deepening their involvement in cultural activities. Adults described the myriad ways in which involvement in cultural activities provides therapeutic benefits for AI/AN youth. Interventions that provide urban AI/AN youth with an opportunity to engage in cultural activities and connect with positive and healthy constructs in AI/AN culture may provide added impact to existing interventions.

Alcohol use among reserve-dwelling adult First Nation members: use, problems, and intention to change drinking behavior

INTRODUCTION

Although alcohol use was not part of traditional First Nation (FN) life, alcohol misuse currently poses a significant public health problem. There is a dearth of research efforts to understand both alcohol misuse and efforts to resolve these problems. The primary aims of this study were to 1) present descriptive data on alcohol use in FN adults living on one reserve in Eastern Canada; and 2) explore correlates of help seeking intentions and past behaviors.

METHODS

We administered questionnaires to 211 FN people (96 men; 113 women; 2 unknown).

RESULTS

Nearly two-thirds of our sample were current drinkers (N=150). Of those, 29% endorsed they needed help with their drinking, and half reported that they would probably try to cut down or stop drinking in the next year. Multiple regression analyses suggested that drinking was positively associated with a greater perceived need for help with drinking (β=.40, p=<.001). Lower scores on a measure of cultural identity (i.e., stronger FN identity) was associated with a greater perceived need for help with drinking (β=-.18, p=.04). Greater endorsement of past year attempts to stop drinking (β=.33, p<.001) and higher alcohol reduction expectancies (β=.43, p<.00) were positively associated and lower scores on cultural identity (i.e., stronger FN identity) (β=-.19, p=.03) was associated with trying to cut down or stop drinking in the next year.

CONCLUSIONS

Future research should explore the nature of cultural identity as a protective factor.