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This thesis explores the complex identities of the Hindu community of Lusaka, Zambia. It argues that current theories in migration and diaspora studies are not sufficient for understanding such groups in post-colonial Africa. The thesis proposes that we should revisit ‘forgotten’ literature, on immigrants as ‘stranger’ communities, that originates from Georg Simmel’s 1908 essay, ‘The Stranger’. Such work, which this thesis terms ‘stranger theory’, usefully contributes to more contemporary approaches by enabling a comprehensive assessment of a community’s position and how that position changes over time. Stranger theory is used in this thesis to situate Lusaka’s Hindus (and Zambian Hindus more generally) as ‘organic’ members of the nation, whose relationships with wider society are characterised by both ‘nearness’ and ‘remoteness’. The thesis first describes the emergence of a Zambian Hindu ethnic identity during colonial and immediate postcolonial (post-1964) periods focussing on migration and settlement patterns, immigrant networks and the emergence of cultural associations. A theme running throughout the thesis is that the ‘plural society’ of the colonial era (a society consisting of separate, racially-categorised groups with limited interaction) has persisted in Zambia in a postcolonial form, and that this is a useful way of understanding the position of the Hindu community in Zambia today. Following the historical discussion is an analysis of how the contemporary city of Lusaka is experienced by its Hindu residents, through mapping out spaces, social structures and practices that remain unique to Lusaka’s Hindus. Lusaka’s Hindu community is presented as both cohesive and fragmented; the thesis goes on to analyse the ways in which community identity itself is frequently broken down and reconfigured by its members. Zambia’s Hindus comprise diverse sets and subgroups of immigrants with uneven and ‘flexible’ approaches to, and experiences of, migration, citizenship and belonging, rather than embodying a single, quantifiable ‘diaspora’ entity. Yet, in local terms, Hindus in Lusaka are often treated as part of a general ‘Indian’ group; indeed, the thesis shows how Hindus’ relationships with other groups in Zambia emphasise the ‘stranger’ dimension of the community’s position in society. Finally, the thesis asserts that Zambian Hindu ‘twice migrants’—those who migrate onwards to new destinations—reinforce the existence and identities of the ‘home’ community in Zambia. Indeed, these twice migrants must be considered as African and Zambian transnational migrants as well as part of a South Asian ‘diaspora’. Methodologically, the thesis is driven by situational analysis, and brings two separate versions of this approach (from Sociology and Anthropology) together, drawing on data collected in Zambia between 2006 and 2008.

The diploma thesis focuses on the acculturation strategies which are used by young adults belonging to Vietnamese ethnic minority in long-term contact with majority. The main goal of the study is to analyze negotiation of identity in young adults from families with migration experience. The research question is how they reflect own previous and recent experiences and I strive to understand what meaning it has for them. In the theoretical part, I introduced the basic concepts and theories of acculturation psychology, acculturation strategies, development of identity, ethnic identity, context of ethnic communities, etc. Furthermore I deal with a number of significant links which have influence to formation of identity, for example family background, attitudes towards their own culture, possibilities for cultural transmission, language skills, context of majority. Thanks to autobiographical narratives we can see the way of daily negotiation of the identity at the young adult ethnic Vietnamese. By using the biographical design method, we will look at the strategies of acculturation, the view of actors and the subjective meanings of moments in their lives. The main research method is biographical narrative interviews with the participants. KEYWORDS acculturation, acculturation strategy, identity, ethnic...

abstract: Empirical research has supported that higher behavioral engagement with and higher affective pride toward the LGBTQ+ community are associated with greater psychological well-being among Latinx sexual minorities (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, etc.). Less is known, however, about predictors of sexual identity development among Latinx sexual minorities. This study explores how heterosexist discrimination may be related to the exploration and affirmation of one’s sexual minority identity. Conversely, conflicts in allegiance (CIA), that is, the experience of perceived incompatibility Latinx sexual minorities may experience between their racial-ethnic and sexual minority identities, was examined as a potential negative correlate. This study applies a rejection-identification model and identity development theories to test the associations between heterosexist discrimination, conflicts in allegiances and sexual identity constructs (LGBTQ+ behavioral engagement and affective pride). Among a sample of 366 Latinx sexual minorities, this study found both heterosexist discrimination and conflicts in allegiances were significant predictors of LGBTQ+ behavioral engagement and affective pride. Additionally, data supported two mediational models that tested relations between heterosexist discrimination, LGBTQ+ behavioral engagement, and affective pride. This study contributes to our understanding of sexual minority identity among Latinx individuals. These findings can assist helping professionals and community centers in promoting psychological well-being among Latinx sexual minority individuals by informing identity-affirming practices and interventions. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Counseling Psychology 2018

The Vietnamese have been resided in Czech Republic since 1950s. Literature claims that the Vietnamese is a rather successfully integrated group in Czech Republic comparing with other minority. Hence, the master thesis aims at exploring the political participation as well as civic engagement of university students with Vietnamese ethnicity and are conceived as second generation of the Vietnamese group in Czech Republic. Based on a review on literature on theories and relevant studies on political participation, the research employed qualitative approach through semi-structured interviews with 15 Vietnamese university students in Prague. Analysis of the responses demonstrates that most of the participants perceive political participation as their duty of citizenship and do not link their political participation with minority identity. Meanwhile, a distinction of attitude towards civic engagement and political participation for the target group and the trend of replacing political activities with civic activities is discovered. At the end of the research, this study indicates that conventional theories of political participation are not be able to cover the complexity of political participation in the modern society. Keywords Vietnamese minority, political participation, civic participation, minority...

Doctor of Philosophy / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Amber V. Vennum / It is known that ethnic-racial socialization messages received by Black youth are critical to their ethnic-racial identity development. Despite recognition that identity achievement is rarely completed by the end of adolescence and Black youth are embedded in larger multicultural familial, communal, and societal contexts, previous studies almost exclusively focus on parents as the isolated provider of ethnic-racial socialization messages during adolescence. Using a sample of 171 Black emerging adults, this retrospective study focused on the influence of four unique types of ethnic-racial socialization messages from diverse ethnic-racial socialization agents throughout adolescence and emerging adulthood on the development of Black ethnic-racial identity during emerging adulthood. Participants reported that although parents, adult family members, and siblings were the most influential socialization agents during adolescence, they became less influential during emerging adulthood as peers gained more influence. Across all developmental periods, emerging adults reported the strongest messages they received were egalitarian and racial pride messages and the weakest messages they received were negative messages. Additionally, seven different profiles of ethnic-racial identity development during emerging adulthood were identified and were predicted by the types of ethnic-racial socialization messages emerging adults received from adolescence through emerging adulthood. These results highlight the importance of receiving racial pride and racial barrier messages along with minimal egalitarian and negative messages from socialization agents in order to foster a healthy and positive Black ethnic-racial identity during emerging adulthood. Clinical implications, family life education implications, implications for diverse socialization agents, and areas for future research based on the findings of the present study are discussed.

The thesis, entitled Russian Identity: Minority Schools in Contemporary Estonia, analyses Russian upper-secondary schooling in Estonia from the dissolution of the Soviet Union until 2012. It focuses on two issues, which are considered to be important for national-identity building of Russian students living in Estonia: language of instruction and history teaching. In terms of the first issue, the thesis aims to show how is the Estonian government implementing the reform introducing mandatory 60% of curricula in Estonian and how is it perceived by Russian students and their teachers. In terms of the second issue, the thesis examines perception of the Soviet period by the Russian students comparing to the "official" Estonian interpretation advocated by the Ministry of Education. First part of the work focuses on the integration process of Russians into Estonian society stressing its difficulties and implications concerning the national identity of Russians living in Estonia. Second part finally examines the two particular issues (language-of-instruction reform and history teaching) from the point of view of the available written sources, while the final and the key part of the thesis analyses the same issues based on a field research at Russian schools in Estonia.

Minorité ethno-religieuse originaire du Nord-Ouest de l’Inde, les sikhs ont une longue histoire migratoire qui prend naissance pendant la colonisation britannique. Cette thèse s’intéresse à la manière dont les sikhs de la diaspora, et particulièrement ceux de Grande-Bretagne, ont contribué de manière décisive à définir les contours de l’identité sikhe contemporaine.Pour ce faire, nous nous intéressons à la genèse coloniale du discours identitaire dominant, développé par l’élite sikhe réformiste dans la deuxième moitié du 19e siècle, qui repose sur l’élaboration de frontières socio-culturelles rigides séparant les sikhs des non-sikhs et sur la création d’une communauté unie et distincte, dotée d’un univers symbolique autonome, de rites propres et d’une histoire particulière. Cette notion normative d’une communauté sikhe monolithique s'est trouvée consolidée en Grande-Bretagne sous l'effet des politiques publiques et de décennies de mobilisations communautaires pour le turban. La politique sikhe de reconnaissance repose sur l’idée d'exceptionnalisme des sikhs, de leur contribution importante à la société britannique et d’une relation historique privilégiée avec les anciens colonisateurs. Cependant, l’étude de la pluralité des appartenances socio-religieuses – en particulier sectaires et de caste - révèle la diversité des manières d’être sikh en diaspora et bat en brèche les prétentions du leadership à parler au nom de « la » communauté sikhe. / As an ethno-religious minority originating from the North-West of India, the Sikhs have a long migration history, starting during the colonial period. This dissertation focuses on how the Sikh diaspora, particularly British Sikhs, have decisively shaped contemporary Sikh identity narratives.Sikh dominant identity narrative was shaped in a dialogic relation between the colonizers and Sikh intellectual elite in the 19th century and it relied on rigid boundaries between Sikhs and non-Sikhs. Sikh reformists strived to create a unified and distinct community, with its own rituals, symbols and collective memory. This normative definition of a homogeneous community has been strengthened in post-colonial Britain, under the influence of public policies towards immigrant minorities and of Sikh politics of recognition. The latter draws on the idea that Sikhs represent a model minority, entertaining a priviliged relationship with the British.However, the diversity of socio-religious practices and belonging observed during fieldwork highlights that, despite Sikh leadership claims to represent a homogenous community, there remains a plurality of ways to be a diasporic Sikh.

abstract: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017) note that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM) face more barriers to accessing health care compared to other men. Such barriers include, lack of cultural- and sexual identity-appropriate medical and support services, concerns about confidentiality, and fear of discussing sexual practices or orientation in a medical setting. In comparison to other MSM populations, Latino MSM (LMSM) report having the least amount of access to health care (McKirnan et al., 2012). The purpose of the present study is to elucidate how individual- (i.e., age, education level, and income level), community- (i.e., social support and neighborhood collective efficacy), and sociocultural-level factors (i.e., immigration status, heterosexual self-presentation, sexual identity commitment, sexual identity exploration, and ethnic identity affirmation and belonging) may relate with perceived access to healthcare. It is hypothesized that ethnic identity affirmation and belonging will moderate relations between the aforementioned predictors and perceived access to health care based on increasing evidence that ethnic identity, or one’s sense of affirmation and belonging to one’s ethnic group, may be a health protective factor. Among a sample of 469 LMSM, this study found that there were several predictors across all three levels (i.e., individual, community, and sociocultural) of perceived access to healthcare. Additionally, data supported evidence that ethnic identity affirmation and belonging (Phinney, 2003) acts as a moderator of other predictors of perceived access to healthcare in this sample. These findings can inform outreach interventions of researchers and healthcare providers about psychosocial and cultural barriers and facilitators of access to healthcare. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Counseling Psychology 2020

This qualitative study aims to provide a sociological understanding of people who hold minority beliefs about spirituality and religion and to improve our sociological and social-psychological understanding of a-religious and alternatively religious people. Data were collected through indepth interviews with 10 atheist and 11 naturalist respondents. The study examines the religious histories of the respondents, how they left mainstream religion, how they adopted a minority identity with regard to religion/spirituality, and their personal experiences living in a predominately Christian area. I hypothesized that atheists and naturalists would hold minority identities and feel subordinated or oppressed by the dominant group: Christians. Analyses of interviews provided strong support for the idea that the respondents experienced a minority identity in the sociological sense.