The Colour Distinction
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Resilient Resistance: Understanding the Construction of Positive Ethnocultural Identity in Visible Minority Youth by Elizabeth Shen A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration and Leadership Department of Educational Policy Studies University of Alberta © Elizabeth Shen, 2018 ii Abstract Visible minority youth face racism daily at micro, mezzo and macro-levels and yet there is a gap in academic research that examines how these students can combat racism, as they experience it at the micro-level, in order to develop pride toward their minority culture and race. As such, this dissertation explores how visible minority youth, who are living within a dominant culture environment where all levels of racism exist to encourage their assimilation, are able to express positive ethnocultural identity. In doing so, this dissertation seeks to answer the question of: How do visible minority youth build positive personal ethnocultural identity? with the corresponding question of: How do visible minority students externally express ethnocultural identity? Using case study methodology within two schools in the province of Alberta, visible minority adolescent students were interviewed and data were analyzed to gain insight into the various strategies that junior high school (grades 7, 8 and 9) students use to express their ethnocultural identity. I learned that students build ethnocultural identity by: 1. seeking and embracing cultural knowledge; 2. accepting feelings of difference; 3. dealing with stereotypes and racism; and 4.) bridging cultures and race. Using Rozas and Miller’s (2009) web of resistance as a conceptual framework assisted to break the strategies used by the students in each story line down into a dichotomy of internal and external strategies, which represented the students need to consider and personalize the events they experienced in order to enact resilient resistance against racism and develop positive personal ethnocultural identity with or without conscious understanding of micro, mezzo and macro-levels of racism. This study highlights the importance of student experience, deliberation and agency in the construction of positive ethnocultural identity in visible minority youth. iii Preface This thesis is an original work by Elizabeth Shen. No part of this thesis has been previously published. The research project, of which this thesis is a part, received research ethics approval from the University of Alberta Research Ethics Board, Project Name “The Colour Distinction: Understanding Adolescent Ethnocultural Identity Development”, Pro00053520, June 10, 2015. Ethics was renewed on May 29, 2016; May 25, 2017; and May 8, 2018. iv Dedication I dedicate this work to my daughters, Mikaela 初 霞 and Isabela 媛. You inspired me to do this and through it I hope for a world where you can proudly be Chinese-Canadian. Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope. ~ Maya Angelou v Acknowledgements I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the following people and organizations who were instrumental in the completion of my Ph.D. research: Edmonton Public School Board who aided my research with both time and financial support. The University of Alberta Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research for funding the Doctoral Recruitment Scholarship. The amazing University of Alberta Faculty in the Department of Education, including the members of my candidacy and defense supervisory committees: Dr. Jonathon Anuik, Dr. Jennifer Kelly, Dr. Lynette Shultz, Dr. Randolph Wimmer, and Dr. Sophie Yohani, as well as Dr. Jerome Cranston (University of Regina) and Dr. Lorin Yochim (Concordia University of Edmonton) for opening my eyes to a critical understanding of race and culture in education. Several educational leaders who must remain unnamed here in order to maintain the anonymity of locations, school districts and some of the interviewed students. Your support and guidance throughout my academic and practical career inspired me to keep going against the racism and other “isms” that existed right before our eyes. Without you, I would not have reached beyond where I thought I belonged. My parents who, long ago, proved that graduate degrees belonged in the hands of visible minorities too, you taught me to be strong and adventurous and not to be confined by expectations of others. My deepest appreciation goes out to my family (Daniel, Mikaela and Isabela) for all their patience and understanding. Even in my absences, my thoughts and love were always with you. Finally, I most graciously thank Dr. Bonnie Stelmach. Without her constant encouragement, critical feedback, patience, wisdom, and enthusiasm, this work would never have come to fruition. Thank you for pushing me to find a truly meaningful topic and for staying with me until the end! vi Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 The Research Context............................................................................................................ 1 The Research Problem ........................................................................................................... 6 My Ethnocultural Journey ..................................................................................................... 8 Autobiographical Reflection..........................................................................................................11 Ontological assumptions................................................................................................................12 Epistemological assumptions.........................................................................................................14 Definition of Terms ............................................................................................................. 15 Delimitations ....................................................................................................................... 16 Limitations ........................................................................................................................... 17 Significance ......................................................................................................................... 19 Organization of Dissertation................................................................................................ 20 Chapter 2: Literature Review ........................................................................................................ 21 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 21 Institutional Racism ............................................................................................................. 21 Micro-level Effects of Institutional Racism ........................................................................ 25 Micro-level Resistance to Institutional Racism ................................................................... 28 Models of Ethnocultural Identity Development .................................................................. 29 Figure 1: Model of Mexican American adolescent’s ethnic self-concepts and identity .......................................................................................................................................30 Stages of Ethnic Identity Development ............................................................................... 33 Resilient Resistance ............................................................................................................. 37 vii Figure 2: The web of institutional racism.....................................................................38 Figure 3: The web of resistance....................................................................................40 Positive Ethnocultural Identity Formation .......................................................................... 41 Summary .............................................................................................................................. 45 Chapter 3: Research Design .......................................................................................................... 47 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 47 Paradigm .............................................................................................................................. 47 Methodology........................................................................................................................ 48 Conceptual Framework ....................................................................................................... 52 Ethics ................................................................................................................................... 54 Research Sites and Participants ........................................................................................... 55 Data Collection .................................................................................................................... 58 Data Analysis....................................................................................................................... 61 Conclusion ..........................................................................................................................