African and African American Graduate Students' Racial Identity and Personal Problem‐Solving Strategies

Abstract

This study examined differences on the Racial Identity Attitude Scale (RIAS; Helms & Parham, 1985) and the Problem Solving Inventory (PSI; Heppner, 1981, 1988) among 34 African and 48 African American graduate students. Significant differences were found on the preencounter and internalization scales of the RIAS. There were no group differences in coping ability as measured by the PSI. In addition, the African group experienced an acculturation effect as time in the United States was extended beyond 3 years. These differences in racial identity states have implications for cross‐cultural counseling.

Ethnic identity in urban African American youth: Exploring links with self‐worth, aggression, and other psychosocial variables

“…suggest that ethnic identity may protect African American youngsters against the internalization of racist attitudes that are dehumanizing and damaging to self-esteem. Although the existing research on these constructs does not speak directly to his ideas, it does suggest that effective coping or problem-solving strategies may be associated with higher self-esteem~Chapman & Moos, 1990;a stronger sense of ethnic identity~Bagley &Copeland, 1994;Dubow et al, 2000;Parham & Helms, 1981!. In the Ethnic Identity and Aggression • current study, Active Coping~comprised of cognitive decision-making, direct problem solving, seeking understanding, and positive cognitive restructuring! was chosen as an "effective" method of coping, because this is most consistent with the literature that suggests that problem-focused~Chapman & Mullis, 2000!…”

“…A small body of research has shown that ethnic identity and self-esteem are positively associated with effective problem-solving strategies~Bagley & Copeland, 1994;Parham & Helms, 1981!. In research with African-American college students, it has been hypothesized that individuals who are more aware of their ethnic identity and feel a greater sense of belonging and attachment to their ethnic group may also be more sensitive to culture-specific stressors~Neville, Heppner, & Wang, 1997!.…”

The Relationship Between Racial Identity Development and Multicultural Counseling Competency

“…The research concerning the relationship between racial identity development and multicultural counseling competence is still in its early stages. Preliminary work has examined the relationship between these variables (Brown, Parham, & Yonker, 1996) and investigated the impact of multicultural training on racial identity (Parker, Moore, & Neimeyer, 1998) and on various counseling-related skills (Bagley & Copeland, 1994;Pope-Davis & Ottavi, 1994;Pope-Davis, Reynolds, Dings, &Nielson, 1995). Brown et al (1996) documented the positive impact of crosscultural training on racial identity attitudes, though this impact interacted with gender.…”

A Multidimensional Approach to Explore Cross-Cultural Differences in Coping Behavior: Comparing Druze and Jews in Israel

“…The idea that cultural norms and values might influence how a person copes with major life events and minor daily hassles is not a new one (Bagley & Copeland, 1994;Olah, 1995). Surprisingly, though, a literature review provides only partial and inconsistent support of the notion that cultural differences shape coping behavior.…”