Ethnic identity, self-esteem, and occupational aspirations of Indian and Anglo-Saxon British adolescents.
A questionnaire monitoring occupational aspiration, ethnic identification, adolescent experience, and self-esteem was administered to a large sample of Indian and Anglo-Saxon British male and female adolescents attending school in the West Midlands. The relationship between these variables and differences between the four groups were consistent with predictions derived from the social identity approach to intergroup relations and group behaviour (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). Indian males were found to possess a social mobility belief structure that mediates high occupational aspirations and keeness to marry out of their ethnic group. In contrast, Indian females were found to possess a social change belief structure associated with acceptance of the status quo and lower aspirations. Males and Anglo-Saxons reported higher self-esteem than females or Indians. The adolescent experience findings were less clear, but were consistent with the general interpretation of the data that the differences in intersex relations and gender-related experiences are contingent on ethnicity.
Department of Psychology, University of Melbourne, Australia.
M A
MA
Hogg
D
D
Abrams
Y
Y
Patel
D000293:Adolescent; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D009790:Occupations; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D012922:Social Change; D012933:Social Identification; D012937:Social Mobility; D006113:United Kingdom; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology