Individer som befinner sig mellan olika kulturer upplever ofta utmaningar associerade med dubbelidentitet. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur andra generationens invandrare upplever sin identitet när de har föräldrar med annan etnisk bakgrund än svensk. Studiens två frågeställningar fokuserar på identiteten i sociala och kulturella kontexter. Urvalet gjordes genom ett målinriktat och snöbollsurval, och vidare genomfördes åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer där deltagarna berättade om sina upplevelser. Analysen utfördes utifrån en tematisk analysprocess i sex steg där sju teman identifierades: anpassning i dagliga interaktioner, intern självreflektion av social identitet, social tillhörighet och gemenskap, kulturell dualitet med balansering, fördomar och identitet, språkets roll, och upplevda kulturkrockar. Resultatet visade att deltagarna ständigt förhandlar sin identitet mellan två kulturer för att passa in. Några viktiga diskuterade ämnen var tillhörighet, bikulturell identitet och kulturkrock. Studien kan bidra till framtida forskning om mångkulturella situationer och till en fördjupad förståelse för individers upplevelser kring etniskt ursprung.

Although there has been progress in trying to decrease the use of cigarette smoking, a new method of smoking has evolved which is rapidly increasing, namely vaping. Adolescents who participate in smoking are more likely to increase smoking frequency if they believed that it is self-defining (“I smoke cigarettes” versus “I am a smoker”). While there has been evidence to support the claim that internal motives for smoking are correlated with smoker identity development, there has been none, to our knowledge, found for vaping identity. Due to the similarities of smoking and vaping, it is important to discover whether those who vape also have an identity similar to those who smoke. In other words, with vaping being a new technology, do users identify themselves as “I am a vaper” or “I vape e-cigarettes”? The way in which users identify themselves may have important implications for intervention efforts. Further, smoking is a type of substance abuse, and substance abuse, primarily alcohol, has been linked to identity status, identity distress, and psychopathology. Smoking has been linked to alcohol use and abuse, but it is unclear if smoking is related to similar identity and adjustment variables, particularly internalizing symptoms, in the same way as alcohol use. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the associations between smoking, vaping, identity, and psychopathology. Using college student participants (N = 303) who completed anonymous online surveys for course credit, four hypotheses were tested, but none was confirmed. Possible reasons for the lack of significant findings are discussed. Despite the lack of findings in regard to the relationship among the study variables, the new concept and measure of vaping identity proposed in this thesis appear to be a potentially valid and useful avenue for future research.

This qualitative study is an exploration of the ways individuals experience and reconcile seemingly incompatible sexual and religious identities. The experience of espousing a religious identity which prohibits homosexuality while simultaneously being attracted to others of the same gender is not uncommon. This phenomenon and how individuals navigate it is poorly understood. Though it is often mentioned in existing literature, few if any studies highlight conflicting identities as the core conflict for this population. No existing studies apply identity theories to the phenomenon. For this study data were taken from two points in time, over nearly four years, from four participants. Results from survey 1 and survey 2 were compared for insights into the process of reconciliation. Results were also compared to two strains of identity theory (Stryker and Burke, 2000) to identify applicability of said theory to this phenomenon. Participants all report a conflict between sexual and religious identities. Relatively minor shifts in how they conceptualize and make meaning of their experiences are observed. All experienced a deepening of their understanding and relationship with self and God. Some report aspects of therapy that were helpful/unhelpful to them in this process. Also included are strengths and limitations of this study, implications for future research, and application of findings to a clinical setting. / Master of Science

The identities of people residing in the vicinity of national borders are complex and affected by many factors, especially by narratives imposed by national governments through the national education system. The European Union, as a supranational organization, also provides narratives that expose individuals to globalized, versus national, ideals. This ethnographic case study asks how individuals living along the Macedonian-Bulgarian border, sharing strong ethnic and cultural ties, view their regional, national and European identities. The study finds that individuals have developed a strong attachment to their national identity. Many Bulgarians hold a strong vision based on historic claims to the Bulgarian Kingdom. Many Bulgarians see Macedonian as having been carved out of the ancient territory and therefore refer to the people as Bulgarians, thus denying their right to self-identify. Macedonians, on the other hand, choose not to refer to the 'other' as part of their own population, but rather as neighbors. They view their national identity is based on the idea of the country being 'attacked' by its neighbors and having to struggle for recognition in the world. The E.U. does not currently offer an alternative, as individuals have little attachment to their European identity related to E.U. membership. / Ph. D.

As evidenced by a large body of research within the engineering education community, those individuals who do not maintain a sense of belonging, identify with engineering groups, or perceive themselves as engineers are more likely to leave the profession. However, little is known about the ways in which engineering students construct or develop their personal and professional identities as influenced by the disciplinary values, behaviors, and practices learned during the undergraduate education experience. In order to deepen the understanding of professional identity formation within the engineering disciplines, a grounded theory study was conducted to explore the experiences of 31 sophomore, junior, and senior level undergraduate students enrolled in a civil engineering program. Upon conducting an iterative process of data collection and analysis, a theory of professional identity negotiation emerged from interviews depicting participants' experiences. This theory titled Negotiating Equilibrium: Advancing from Outsider to Insider or the AOI Model, captures the identities negotiated by students as they iteratively define, adjust, and readjust definitions of self and profession to maintain a balance between their personal self and the learned disciplinary identity of the civil engineering profession. As participants gained this balance, they began to see themselves as professionals and advance from an outsider (i.e., one not belonging to the civil engineering profession) to an insider (i.e., one belonging to the civil engineering profession). The AOI Model provides a framework for researchers to further explore professional identity formation, promotes the development of identity-influencing coursework and instructor teaching approaches, and inspires future research trajectories in engineering and civil engineering education. / Ph. D.

Through the lens of identity process theory, the present thesis explores: (i) the qualitative nature of British national and ethnic attachments and their respective outcomes for identity processes among British South Asians (BSA); and (ii) the impact of media representations for identification and identity processes. In study I, 20 first generation South Asians (FGSA) were interviewed regarding identity, national and ethnic group memberships and inter-ethnic relations. The results revealed that (i) social representations of the ethnic 'homeland' could accentuate national attachment, but that both national and ethnic identities could have positive outcomes for identity processes in distinct social contexts; (ii) the phenomenological importance of 'special moments' and family identity can shape and accentuate national identification; (iii) ethnic and national identities are strategically 'managed' in order to achieve psychological coherence. In study II, 20 second generation South Asians (SGSA) were interviewed regarding similar issues. The results revealed that (i) SGSAs' awareness of the hardship faced by FGSA in the early stages of migration could induce disidentification with Britishness and accentuate identification with the ethnic group; (ii) the Press may be regarded as excluding BSA from Britishness; (iii) SGSA may manifest hybridised identities to enhance psychological coherence. In study III, a sample of 50 tabloid articles regarding BSA was analysed qualitatively. The results revealed that (i) BSA are constructed as 'deviating' from self-aspects of Britishness; (ii) BSA may be represented in terms of a hybridised threat to the ethno-national ingroup. Study IV investigated some of the findings of the previous studies quantitatively. The questionnaire was administered to 215 BSA. A series of statistical analyses confirmed (i) the impact of negative media representations of one's ethnic group for identity processes; (ii) the accentuation of ethnic identity and attenuation of British national identity as a result of exposure to negative media representations; (iii) a weaker national attachment among British Pakistanis than British Indians. It is argued that levels of British national and ethnic identities will likely fluctuate in accordance with social and temporal context and that BSA will make strategic use of both identities in order to optimise identity processes.

<p>Denna uppsats undersöker förhållandet mellan etnisk identitet och egoidentitet hos vuxna individer. Då Sverige är mångkulturellt är detta förhållande ett viktigt forskningsområde att belysa. En kvalitativ undersökning genomfördes med nio intervjupersoner. Dessa lever i den svenska kulturen samt i en utomeuropeisk kultur. Resultatet visade att kulturen upplevdes vara en mycket viktig del av personligheten på så sätt att den etniska identiteten är en sammansvetsad del av intervjupersonernas egoidentitet. Intervjudeltagarna upplevde sig vara en blandning av de erfarna kulturerna. Majoriteten intervjudeltagare hade en fullbordad identitet, men perioder av förvirring och dilemman förekom som ett resultat av deras bikulturella livssituation. Anpassningsproblem och olika begränsningar var bidragande orsaker till dessa perioder. Studien bidrar till fördjupad kunskap om dubbeletniska vuxnas identitets- och personlighetsutveckling.</p> / <p>This essay examines the relationship between ethnic identity and ego identity among adults. Sweden is a multi cultural country and therefore this relationship is important to examine. A qualitative interview study was conducted with nine interviewees, who live in Sweden and originate from a culture outside Europe. The culture was shown to be an important part of the personality, which indicates that that ethnic identity is a part of ego identity. The interviewees experienced themself to be a mix of two cultures. A majority of the interviewees had an achieved identity, but periods of diffusion occured as a result of adaption problems and limitations. The study contributes with advanced knowledge about identity and personality development of adults.</p>

The present study explores the cultural implications associated with the intensive presence of foreign labour in the modern and young UAE, with special focus on the potential impact on the cultural particularities forming national identity.  To this end, the study examines the evolution and reality of multicultural society in the country, in conjunction with multiculturalism ideologies, policies and modes pursued elsewhere. The issue is addressed from contextual, conceptual, empirical and comparative perspectives; thus the study concludes that the de facto multiculturalism experienced in the UAE is rather a complex unique model that should be understood on its own merits.  Inter-related topics including globalization, civilisational dialogue and cultural engagement, as being inseparable from the subject matter, are thoroughly discussed, with relevance to UAE’s context. The key recommendation calls for the need for earnest steps to introduce limits to the scope of tolerance prescribed, implicitly or explicitly, under public policy in order to maintain the continuity of national identity, and consequently contributes to the sustainability of the prevalent co-existence amongst various cultural communities and groups in the country, in line with the open diversified labour-intensive economy. While the present thesis is expected to help initiate discussion on cultural diversity in the UAE, a number of fields have been identified for possible further research on the state of affairs, in particular, potential threats surrounding the local religious and traditional values.

Thesis has no abstract

Thesis advisor: Patrick Proctor / How children understand reading and who they are as readers comprises children’s reading identities. Reading identities can have very real effects on the reading outcomes of children, and may support the development of foundational reading skills and the process of learning to read (McCarthey & Moje, 2002). Despite the potential importance of reading identities to early reading, research on young dual language learners (DLLs) comprises only a small portion of the overall research on reading identities (Castro, 2014; Moje & Luke, 2009). This study explored the potential interplay between early reading, reading identities, and bilingualism to describe and understand how DLLs in prekindergarten classrooms understood reading and who they were as readers. Ten DLLs ages 4-5 participated in this study. Participants came from two prekindergarten classrooms in a public elementary school. The study design foregrounded child-centered methods that accessed children’s ways of constructing meaning through talk, activity, art, and play. Data collection processes included reading and drawing-based interviews with children, observations of children, interviews with teachers, a questionnaire for parents, and classroom observations. Findings from the study show how young children are actively constructing ideas about reading, language, and who they are as readers as they learn to read. Case portraits show the various ways that reading identities were constructed, taken-up, and expressed by the participants. These portraits show how reading identities emerge early, vary across children, are connected to context, and have varying connections to children’s bilingualism. A cross-case analysis identified four dimensions of reading identities: concept of reading, performance, self-awareness, and context. These dimensions are integrated into an emergent conceptual model of reading identities. Together, the data suggest that social, cognitive, and linguistic factors play a combined role in the early emergence of reading identities in young DLLs. The study points to the potential of new theory and child-centered research methods for considering the interrelationship between early literacy, bilingualism, and identity in young children. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.