ETHNIC IDENTITY

Ethnic Identity

Ethnic Identity Supports Adolescent Mental Health and Academic Achievement

Thesis Statement

The influence of ethnic identity development on adolescents' achievement, self-concept, and behaviours has been reviewed extensively in the literature.

Introduction

Le (2009) believe about the role that school counsellors A school counsellor is a counsellor and educator who works in schools, and have historically been referred to as "guidance counsellors" or "educational counsellors," although "Professional School Counsellor" is now the preferred term.

Given the tremendous ethnic diversity among adolescents in U.S. middle schools, it is critical for middle school counsellors to address the significance of ethnicity in the development of the students they serve. As such, this article will focus on research related to ethnic identity development in early adolescence and its relationship to interactions in middle schools. Race, ethnicity, and ethnic identity will be discussed, followed by a review of research on the relationships between ethnic identity and adolescent developmental variables.

Race, Ethnicity, and Adolescent Ethnic Identity Development

Kiang Gonzales-Backen Fuligni Yip Witkow (2006) explains about ethnic identity is sometimes used to refer to ethnic group membership. It has been conceptualized as a fundamental aspect of an adolescent's identity because it includes the attitudes and feelings associated with that membership (Marshall 2002). However, ethnic identity is not a categorical that which is unqualified or unconditional.

Ethnic Identity and Student Behaviours

Ethnic identity development has been significantly related to much adolescent behaviour. For instance, in a study with middle school Jewish students, Dubow, Pargament, Boxer, and Tarakeshwar (2000) found that students with more advanced levels of ethnic identity were more sensitive to culture-specific stressors (e.g., discrimination, racism).

Ethnic identity also has been significantly related to decrease adolescent drug use, positive educational adaptation of immigrant adolescents, wellness, and positive school adjustment (Phinney 1999). The influence of peer relationships/behaviour on ethnic identity development also has been investigated. Carlson Uppal & Prosser (2000) found that ethnic minority adolescents who interacted more with peers of the same ethnic background had more developed levels of ethnic identity.

And finally, the role of ethnic identity as a protective factor among "high-risk" and "successful" White and African American adolescents was examined by Le (2009). One hundred fifty-nine adolescents were assessed for depression, internalizing and externalizing behaviours, competence, and academic achievement. Their results indicated that advanced levels of ethnic identity development were a significant predictor of social adaptation social adaptation Psychiatry The ability to live and express oneself according to social restrictions and cultural demands and emotional adjustment for African American and White adolescents. More importantly, however, Kiang Gonzales-Backen Fuligni Yip Witkow (2006) found that ethnic identity was integral to the emotional and social adjustment of adolescents, particularly those of African American descent.

Ethnic Identity and Self-Esteem/Self-Concept

For middle school educators, understanding the process through which early adolescents come to see themselves as belonging to particular ethnic groups is important because it can have a tremendous bearing on their academic achievement (Helms 2003).

Although not measuring ethnic identity, Kiang Gonzales-Backen Fuligni Yip Witkow (2006) investigated the relationship between racial identity attitudes and academic achievement among African ...