Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Availability

Open Access Thesis

Keywords

Refugees--Tibet; Refugees--United States; Group identity; Self-esteem;

Abstract

There are approximately 127,935 Tibetans in exile. As immigrants and stateless refugees, Tibetans carry their identity of Tibetan-origin and are tied to Indian, American, or other identities as well; however, there is little research on whether having more than one identity is an advantage for some or all people, especially within the Tibetan context. Using social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) as a framework, this pre-registered correlational study investigated the relationship between dual identity, self-esteem, and well-being. While several studies (e.g., Berry, 2005; Curran et al., 2002; Mok et al., 2007) have shown that holding dual identities is related to positive outcomes, other research has documented that dual identifiers are not always an advantage (Baysu et al., 2011). One possibility could be that an individual’s perception of how others view their group status may affect the relationship between dual identity and outcomes such as selfesteem and well-being. When a person believes that other people view their groups as having high status, it may help bolster their self-esteem and help them achieve a positive social identity (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). Therefore, I examined perceived group status as a moderator in this study. Two hundred Tibetans in the U.S. recruited using convenience sampling methods completed a survey consisting of validated scales assessing dual identity, perceived status of the groups, self-esteem, and well-being, as well as demographic information. People who strongly identified with both nationalities (i.e., Tibetan and American) reported higher self-esteem and better well-being; however, the perceived status of both groups did not moderate the positive relationship between dual identification, self-esteem, and well-being. Exploratory analyses revealed that perceived group status for America moderated the positive relationship between dual identification iii and self-esteem. Participants who strongly identified with both groups reported higher self-esteem, especially when the perceived group status for America was more favorable. Additionally, third-generation Tibetan participants reported more favorable perceived group statuses, followed by first and second generation Tibetan refugees. These findings provide support for social identity theory, which states that identity provides a sense of belongingness and a source of self-esteem. Additionally, findings also support the use of an integration strategy (also known as dual identity) for immigrants and refugees. Having more than one in-group identity may be beneficial regardless of the perceived group statuses.

Year of Submission

2023

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Psychology

First Advisor

Helen C. Harton, Chair

Date Original

5-2023

Object Description

1 PDF file (x, 83 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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