Multicultural identity integration and well-being: a qualitative exploration of variations in narrative coherence and multicultural identification

Abstract

Understanding the experiences of multicultural individuals is vital in our diverse populations. Multicultural people often need to navigate the different norms and values associated with their multiple cultural identities. Recent research on multicultural identification has focused on how individuals with multiple cultural groups manage these different identities within the self, and how this process predicts well-being. The current study built on this research by using a qualitative method to examine the process of configuring one's identities within the self. The present study employed three of the four different multiple identity configurations in Amiot et al. (2007) cognitive-developmental model of social identity integration: categorization, where people identify with one of their cultural groups over others; compartmentalization, where individuals maintain multiple, separate identities within themselves; and integration, where people link their multiple cultural identities. Life narratives were used to investigate the relationship between each of these configurations and well-being, as indicated by narrative coherence. It was expected that individuals with integrated cultural identities would report greater narrative coherence than individuals who compartmentalized and categorized their cultural identities. For all twenty-two participants, identity integration was significantly and positively related to narrative coherence, while compartmentalization was significantly and negatively related to narrative coherence. ANOVAs revealed that integrated and categorized participants reported significantly greater narrative coherence than compartmentalized participants. These findings are discussed in light of previous research on multicultural identity integration.

Identity configurations and well‐being during normative cultural conflict: The roles of multiculturals’ conflict management strategies and academic stage

“…This configuration has been consistently positively linked to psychological well-being (Amiot et al, 2015;Yampolsky et al, 2013Yampolsky et al, , 2016. This is made possible by perceiving similarities or overlap between one's different identities.…”

“…Other research examining this type of configuration (Yampolsky, Amiot, & de la Sablonni ere, 2013;Yampolsky et al, 2016) has not specified which cultural identity is favored via the categorized identity configuration. With this configuration, the cultural identities are viewed as greatly differentiated and only one identity is central to selfdefinition while the others are excluded.…”

Is Superdiversity a Useful Concept in European Medical Sociology?

“…Such involvement should not simply benefit the new arrivals and marginalized minorities, but rather be a means of building a sustainable and inclusive health service that will benefit the whole population and be robust enough to respond to future forms of diversity. The successful management of multiple cultural identities has been associated with well-being (Yampolsky et al, 2013), which counters the tendency to research pathological aspects of minority racialized experience and suggests the beneficial possibilities of an inclusive way of working. Since healthcare providers, like service users, are highly diverse, the benefit of inclusive working that acknowledges everyone's contribution is a key social good for the whole population.…”

Signs of transcendence? A changing landscape of multiraciality in the 21st century

“…Validated border identifiers also indicated higher self-concept clarity than protean identifiers. Thus, identity integration and self-concept clarity may be highest among individuals who have blended and integrated separate components into a single meaning and whose selfperceptions are confirmed or validated by those around them (see Yampolsky, Amiot, & de la Sablonnière, 2013). Individuals with an unvalidated identity, on the other hand, have identities that are incompatible with one another.…”

“…High identity integration (Cheng et al, 2008) and high self-concept clarity (Campbell et al, 1996) have also been associated with positive effects on well-being (Ryff & Keyes, 1995;. Models of social identity change and integration have proposed that when multiple social identities within the self are integrated, the results include a coherent view of self and benefits for psychological well-being (Amiot & de la Sablonnière, 2010;Yampolsky et al, 2013). Thus, the relationships between these variables (i.e., racial group identification, perceived discrimination, and well-being) and racial identity selection were also investigated.…”