Personal and Ethnic Identity in Students: a Cross-Cultural Comparison

Abstract

The research featured a cross-cultural comparison of personal and ethnic identity in university students in the conditions of multicultural educational environment. The study involved 141 students: 48 Russians, 45 students from various European countries, and 48 Chinese students. The psychodiagnostic research methods included the questionnaire "Who Am I?" by M. Kuhn and T. McPartland as modified by T. V. Rumyantseva and the questionnaire "Types of ethnic identity" by G. U. Soldatova, S. V. Ryzhova. The research revealed common and specific features of personal and ethnic identity of each group. The importance of reflection and identification of one’s own educational and professional role position were present in the structure of personal identity of every group. As for the structure of ethnic identity, all groups demonstrated an increased level of positive ethnic identity and an average level of ethnic indifference. In the content of personal identity of Russian students, the Social Self (profession, family), the Perspective Self, and the Reflective Self were more pronounced in contrast with other groups. The European students showed a greater manifestation of ethnic nihilism. The Chinese students demonstrated a greater hyperidentity. In each test group, the authors established two types that differed in the specifics of the relationship between personal and ethnic identity. The results can improve the psychological support of students in the process of their self-identification in the conditions of multicultural educational environment.

Keywords

• personal identity
• ethnic identity
• hypo-identity
• hyper-identity
• multicultural educational environment
• interethnic communication
• young students