Integrating Identities: Ethnic and Academic Identities among Diverse College Students

Abstract

Background/Context Students of Color continue to be underrepresented at the undergraduate level. Recent research has demonstrated the importance of non-academic psychosocial factors for understanding college experiences. One factor, identity, is a broad, multidimensional construct that comprises numerous distinct domains, including political, religious, gender, ethnic, and academic identities. Two identity domains that are particularly relevant for college Students of Color are ethnic and academic identities. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study In the present study we focused on identity development processes in college and how they differ between Students of Color and White students. Specifically, our study examined four hypotheses: Compared with White students, Students of Color would 1) report higher levels of ethnic identity and 2) endorse higher levels of ethnic-academic identity integration, and that the group difference in ratings of ethnic-academic identity integration would be both 3) mediated and 4) moderated by ethnic identity. Research Design This study was a cross-sectional survey of 282 college students in the U.S. (69% women, M age = 19.65, SD =2.78, Range = 18-39; 90% born in the U.S.). Participants were categorized as either White (54%) or as a Student of Color (47%). Participants completed rating-scale measures of ethnic identity exploration and commitment, academic identity, and ethnic-academic identity integration. Findings/Results Findings in the study supported our four hypotheses: 1) Students of Color reported higher levels of ethnic identity than White students, 2) Students of Color reported greater integration between their ethnic and academic identities than White students, 3) this difference was partially explained by Students of Color having stronger ethnic identities than White students, and 4) ethnic identity moderated the relation between ethnicity and ethnic-academic identity integration, such that ethnic identity predicts greater ethnicity-academic identity integration for Students of Color and White students, but the association is stronger for Students of Color. Conclusions/Recommendations Ethnic minority college students endorse higher levels of integration between their ethnic background and academic major. The ability for students to integrate their ethnic and academic identities may provide students with a sense of belonging during their college years. Both ethnicity and the academic environment play a role in the ways in which students feel belonging and pursue their academic careers. Thus, it is important to examine experiences of belonging in an academic context.

Studying Ethnic‐Racial Identity among White Youth: White Supremacy as a Developmental Context

“…As the number of studies using these measures to assess ERI among white youth increases, recognizing the origins and trajectories of these constructs is important. When scales such as the MEIM and EIS are employed, white youth consistently report lower ERI than their BIPOC peers (Phinney, 1992; Walker & Syed, 2013), regardless of which aspect is measured. Multiple scholars have assessed the psychometric properties of ERI scales, including to investigate their functionality among white youth.…”

Understanding identity integration: Theoretical, methodological, and applied issues

“…The conflicts in allegiance scale assesses integration and conflicts between individuals' cultural and lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) identities (Sarno, Mohr, Jackson, & Fassinger, 2015; e.g., "I feel as if my sense of cultural identity is at odds with my [l/g/b] identity"). Similarly, Walker and Syed (2013) assessed college students' integration between their academic and ethnic identities (e.g., "having more people with my ethnic background in my field makes me feel more like a [participant's academic major] student."). Although these assessments are well-aligned with the theoretical construct of contextual identity integration, they have not undergone thorough psychometric examination.…”

Person–Environment Fit and Retention of Racially Minoritized College Students: Recommendations for Faculty, Support Staff, and Administrators

“…Empirical studies have begun to support these theoretical postulations that college persistence is predicated on the correspondence between students and their academic environments. These research findings underscore, for example, the importance of integration between ethnic-racial and academic identities in terms of both educational commitment and a sense of belonging on campus [32,33].…”