Ethnic and Cultural Awareness Development民族和文化意識

Using data of Yi children in cohort 2 (obtained from wave 7 to wave 9, i.e., between the year 2011 and 2015), we find that their awareness on their ethnicity and culture drop over time.

Ethnic and cultural awareness is measured by the 12-item Phinney’s Ethnic Identity Development Scale tapping into Yi children’s willingness to explore their own culture and their sense of belonging to their ethnic group. For more information, please refer to the data access and instrument Section in the About the Project Page.

Ethnic and cultural awareness is essential because research shows that it is associated with the well-being of children, in particular, psychosocial, behavioural and educational outcomes. Having a good understanding of own ethnicity in relation to other ethnic groups also leads to greater inter-cultural acceptances, thus, facilitate the overall cohesiveness of society.

The graph below shows the change in Yi children’s ethnic and cultural awareness over time. The children’s ethnic and cultural awareness show a slight decrease from wave 7 to 8 and then an increase in the last wave. In general, a slight decline is found using regression analysis. The drop in their awareness suggests that additional programs have to be designed to help Yi children understand their ethnicity and culture.

透過分析次組彝童的數據(取自第七至第九輪,即二零一一年至二零一三年),研究發現了他們的民族和文化意識隨着時間下降。

研究採用了Phinney的民族認知發展量表(Ethnic Identity Development Scale,包括十二個範疇)量度彝童的民族和文化意識,了解他們有多願意探尋自己族群文化和對民族的歸屬感。如欲獲取更多量表的資訊,請參閱本頁面的「數據與量表」欄目。

研究顯示,民族和文化意識和青少年的福祉有密切關係,尤其在社會心理和教育成果的層面。除此之外,對自己的民族和其他民族的關連有較佳的認識,更有助接納其他民族,從而促進社會融和,因此,民族和文化意識的價值不言而喻。

以下的圖表顯示彝童的民族和文化意識隨時間的改變。在第七至第八輪期間,他們的民族和文化意識有輕微的下降,而在最後的一輪有輕微的上升。透過迴歸分析,研究發現他們的整體分數有所下跌,這也意味着需要額外設計相關活動以提升彝童對自身民族和文化的認識。

 

Change in Yi children’s Ethnic and Cultural Awareness Overtime and Contributing Factors 彝童民族和文化意識隨時間的改變和相關的因素

Longitudinal analysis using multilevel modelling shows a statistically significant decrease in the ethnic and cultural awareness of Yi children from wave 7 to 9. We observe an average of 1.38 unit of decline in their ethnic and cultural awareness scores across each time wave (b=-1.38, t=-6.51). The drop may be related to Han oriented curriculum adopted by local community school. Over time, Yi children sense of ethnicity may be weakened as due to lack of socialisation opportunity. While it is vital to teach Yi children about Han traditions, it is also crucial to celebrate their Yi origins for their well-being as well as the ethnic integration.

Referring back to Phinney’s Ethnic Identity Development Theory, which postulates that ethnic and cultural awareness is affected by socialisation experiences; here, we examine the effect of each relationship factors, collected at wave 7, on the development of Yi children’s ethnic and cultural awareness over time. Baseline information was used to predict Yi children’s ethnic and cultural awareness development.

Familial Relationship Quality. Yi children who share a better relationship with their fathers/late fathers (b=1.57, t=3.93), siblings (b=1.30, t=3.61) and adopters (b=0.97, t=2.55) show relatively higher levels of ethnic and cultural awareness overtime, while relationships with their mothers do not have an impact. Results support our conceptualisation that positive socialisation with family members will affect ethnic and cultural awareness in Yi children.

In Yi patriarchic culture, female enjoy a less influential role in traditional Yi families than male. With the father being the head of the family, it makes sense that socialisation with fathers/late fathers have a significant effect on Yi children’s ethnicity development, while mothers do not have the same effect. As for siblings, they are the same age peers embedded in Yi children’s familial system. The positive effect of sibling relationships on Yi children’s ethnic and cultural awareness coincide with existing literature which states that positive peer socialisation results in a stronger sense of ethnicity. Positive socialisation experiences with adopters also matter. As adopters are the primary caregivers of Yi children after they lost their parents, it is logical to assume that their adopters play a significant role in shaping their sense of ethnic and cultural awareness.

Teachers and Classmates Support. Yi children who perceived themselves to receive higher levels of teachers (b=0.50, t=3.13) and classmates support (b=0.36, t=4.69) show a higher score in their ethnic and cultural awareness. Findings, again, demonstrate that positive socialisation experiences in school settings can drive up ethnic and cultural awareness.

Demographics. Male and female Yi children do not differ in their ethnic and cultural awareness.

Yi children who are older at enrollment also shows a statistically significant higher ethnic and cultural awareness score than their younger counterparts (b=0.32, b=3.71). This finding is consistent with the literature which suggests that the sense of ethnicity tends to get stronger with age as children start to explore and identify with their origin. Such finding contradicts our results on the downward trend of Yi children’s ethnic and cultural awareness over time. Additional research shall be conducted to understand the findings.

多層次模型的縱向分析顯示,在第七至第九輪測試期間,彝童的民族和文化意識有明顯的下降,他們的社會心理健康分數在每一輪測試之間平均下降1.38個單位(b=-1.38,t=-6.51)。這可能與本地學校採用漢族文化主導的課程有關,彝童的民族意識可能在沒有社會化(socialisation)的機會下日益減弱。課程在教導漢族傳統的同時,都需要為促進彝童的健康發展和促進種族融和而鼓勵他們認識自己彝族的身份。

Phinney的民族認知發展理論推斷民族和文化意識受到社會化經驗影響。在第七輪測試中,研究探討不同關係因素對民族和文化意識發展隨時間的影響,以此為基凖以預計彝童發展。

家庭關係:和健在或已過身的父親(b=1.57,t=3.93)、兄弟姊妹(b=1.30,t=3.61)和收養者(b=0.97,t=2.55)關係較好的彝童隨時間有較好的民族和文化意識,而與母親的關係則沒有影響。研究結果與構想吻合,即與家人有良好的交流和關係會影響彝童的民族和文化意識。在彝族的父權文化中,女性的影響力較小,相比於母親,作為「一家之主」的父親對子女民族意識的影響較大,因而出現以上研究結果。作為彝童在家中朋輩的兄弟姊妹,良好的朋輩關係具正面影響,吻合文獻指出朋輩社會化促成較強的民族認知。數據亦反映彝童與收養者正面的社會化關係亦有其影響,由於收養者是彝童在喪失雙親以後的主要照顧者,收養者在塑造彝童的民族和文化意識上就扮演重要的角色。

老師和同學的支持:自覺得到較多老師支持(b=0.50,t=3.13)和同學支持(b=0.36,t=4.69)的彝童的分數較高,這結果證明了校園裏正面的社會化經驗能夠提升民族和文化意識。

人口特徵:男性和女性的彝童在民族和文化意識上沒有差異。入學年紀較大的彝童的得分高於入學年紀較小的彝童(b=0.32,b=3.71)。這現象和文獻所提出的論點吻合,即民族認知會隨着年紀而增加,他們會在過程中探索和確定自己的民族身份,但由於結果顯示民族和文化意識隨時間下降,研究人員需要進行額外的研究以探討並理解這現象。

Correlates of Yi children’s Ethnic and Cultural Awareness與民族和文化意識相關的因素

We also analyse the effects of Yi children’s ethnic and cultural awareness of their academic motivation and behavioural health using cross-sectional data (Wave 7). Academic motivation is measured with the 28-item Academic Motivation Scale, and behavioural health is measured with the 32-item self-designed scale. For more information, please refer to the data access and scale section in the About the Project page on this website. Multiple regression analysis is used to examine the effects of ethnic and cultural awareness on academic motivation and behavioural health, controlling for teacher and classmate support, relationships with father/late father, with mother/late mother, siblings and adopter, and gender and age.

Results show that ethnic and cultural awareness has positive impacts on Yi children’s academic motivation and behavioural health, controlling for other confounding variables. The following details the findings:

Effects on Academic Motivation. Cross-sectional findings show that ethnic and cultural awareness has a positive effect on Yi children’s academic motivation (b=3.76, t=31.59). As for the effects of the other variables: Teacher support has a positive effect on academic motivation (b=1.87, t=4.64), while classmate support has a negative effect (b=-1.46, t=-7.84). Relationship with father/late father shows a positive impact (b=6.15, t=6.42), while relationship with mother/late mother show a negative association (b=-7.16, t=-8.33). For gender, girls show a higher level of academic motivation than boys (b=2.01, t=2.28). Children who are older also show a higher level of academic motivation than their younger counterparts (b=1.03, t=5.23).

研究分析了彝童的民族和文化意識對他們的學習動機和行為健康的影響,分別採用了包含二十八個項目的「學習動機量表」(Academic Motivation Scale)和一個自行設計、包含三十二個項目的量表量度行為健康。如欲了解更多,請參閱「關於本研究」頁面上的「數據與量表」欄目。研究進行了多個迴歸分析以了解民族和文化意識對學習動機和行為健康的影響,並在分析時控制變數,包括老師和同學的支援、與健在或已過身父親的關係、與健在或已過身母親的關係、與兄弟姊妹和收養者的關係以及性別和年齡。以下只採用了第七輪的數據。

結果顯示,在控制干擾變項的情況下,民族和文化意識對彝童的學習動機和行為健康有正面的影響,詳情如下:

對學習動機的影響:橫斷式分析發現顯示民族和文化意識對彝童的學習動機有正面影響(b=3.76,t=31.59)。其他干擾變項包括:老師支援有正面的影響(b=1.87,t=4.64)、同學支援有負面的影響(b=-1.46,t=-7.84)、與健在或已過身父親的關係有正面的影響(b=6.15,t=6.42)、而與健在或已過身母親的關係則有負面的影響((b=-7.16,t=-8.33)。在性別方面,女性比男性有更高的學習動機(b=2.01,t=2.28)。另外,年紀較大的彝童比較小的彝也有較大的學習動機(b=1.03,t=5.23)。

 

Effects on Behavioural Health. Cross-sectional findings show that ethnic and cultural awareness has a positive effect on Yi children’s behavioural health (b=0.15, t=7.28). As for the effects of the other variables: Teacher support has a positive effect (b=0.30, t=6.87), while classmate support has a negative effect (b=-0.1, t=-4.20). Relationship with siblings and adopter show positive impacts (Siblings: b=0.26, t=2.62; Adopter: b=0.54, t=5.27). For gender, girls show a higher level of behavioural health than boys (b=0.59, t=5.94). Children who are older also show a higher level of behavioural health than their younger counterparts (b=0.07, t=2.77).

對行為健康的影響:橫斷式分析發現顯示民族和文化意識對彝童的行為健康有正面影響(b=0.15,t=7.28)。其他干擾變項包括:老師支援有正面的影響(b=0.30,t=6.87)、同學支援有負面的影響(b=-0.1,t=-4.20)。與兄弟姊妹和收養者的關係有正面的影響(兄弟姊妹:b=0.26,t=2.62;收養者:b=0.54,t=5.27)。在性別方面,女性比男性有較好的行為健康(b=0.59,t=5.94)。另外,年紀較大的彝童比較小的彝童有較好的行為健康(b=0.07,t=2.77)。