CULTURAL IDENTITY

Running head: THE THOUGHTS AND BELIEFS OF YOUNG CHILDREN ABOUT

CULTURAL IDENTITY

The Thoughts and Beliefs of Young Children about Cultural Identity

Tasha Smith
Northern Illinois University

Tasha Smith
ETR 520, Fall 2014

CULTURAL IDENTITY

Table of Contents
Introductory section
Title Page..1
Table of Contents..2
Main Body
I. Problem to be investigated
A. Purpose of the study...............................................................4
B. Justification of the study................................................................4
C. Research question and hypothesis..4
D. Definition of terms.4
E. Brief overview of study..5
II. Background and review of related literature
A. Introduction........................................5
B. Research studies.....6
III. Procedures
A. Description of the research design
10
B. Description of the sample..10
C. Description of the instruments
used...11
D. Explanation of the procedures followed11

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E. Discussion of internal
validity...12
F. Discussion of external
validity...12
G. Description and justification of the statistical techniques or other methods of analysis
used...12
IV. Ethics and Human Relations
A. Threats To the Participants, How the Researcher Will Gain Entry to Collect Data, and
How the Researcher Will Gain the Cooperation of the Participants13
V. Timeline
A. Timeline of the Major Steps of the Study and the Amount of Time Each Step Will
Take..13
VI. Reference.15

Tasha Smith
ETR 520, Fall 2014

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Tasha Smith
ETR 520, Fall 2014

CULTURAL IDENTITY

The Thoughts and Beliefs of Young Children about Cultural Identity

Problem to be Investigated
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to investigate the thoughts and beliefs of cultural identity in
young children.
Justification
The research of the thoughts and beliefs of young children about cultural identity is
important due to the fact that children should have a sense of self to understand who they are,
where they come from so that they can know where they are going (Martins & Harrison, 2011).
Children need to be aware of the history that makes them apart of the culture that they identify
with (Martins & Harrison, 2011). There are several research studies that have also explored this
topic, they include; Teaching with a Multicultural Perspective (Davidman & Davidman, 1997),
The Influence of Cognitive Development and Perceived Racial Discrimination on the
Psychological Well-being of African American Youth (Seaton, 2010), Mothers' Academic Gender
Stereotypes and Education-related Beliefs about Sons and Daughters in African American
Families (Wood, D., Kurtz-Costes, B., Rowley, S. J., & Okeke-Adeyanju, N., 2010).
Research Question
What are the thoughts and beliefs of young children about cultural identity?
Hypothesis
N/A
Definitions of Terms
For the purposes of this study, cultural identity is defined as refers to one's sense of
belonging to a particular culture or ethnic group (Ch.6, 2014).

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For the purposes of this study, young children are defined as young children ages 3-8
years old.
For the purposes of this study, stereotypes are defined as forms of generalization about
some group of people (Ch.6, 2014).
For the purposes of this study, stereotype threat is a psychological phenomenon that has
been shown to negatively impact the performance of a variety of groups
Brief Overview
The descriptive research design that will be conducted will build on previous research by
exploring the issue form the perspective of young children. Young children will be given
questions about what they see when they watch television and how what they see has an impact
on their cultural identity. Current literature on the topic of young children and cultural or racial
identity revealed that children are becoming more aware of gender and ethnic categories at a
very young age (Ambady, Shih, Kim, & Pittinsky, 2001). With this being previously researched
and found explored, this topic is still important due to the fact that technology is moving at a fast
pace and children are being exposed to new information on a daily basis. With that being stated
further research will allow for investigators to understand if time and progression has played a
role in the way that children are thinking about themselves and their cultural identity.

Background and Review of Related Literature

Introduction
The terms cultural identity, racial identity, stereotypes, children, early
childhood, home-life, media usage and school were used to find research studies that

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related to the research proposal. The literature that will be presented was gathered from the
Northern Illinois Universitys ERIC Database, Google Scholar was utilized as well. The search
terms were entered into the database in several different arrangements of pairs. The pair of
descriptors that revealed the most relevant research included cultural identity in early
childhood and media usage and stereotypes. The wide-ranging approach to the literature
review for this survey conducted research study will be used to explore other studies that have
information about the current research question. The researcher will first give information about
cultural identity and young children in an overall perspective. From there the researcher will
explain the information that was gathered about the information that children are receiving from
their home life, the information that they are getting from their school life as well as the
information that the media is feeding them about them and the cultures that they identify with. In
the end, the researcher will give information form studies that integrate all of the factors (home,
school, and the media) that children will gather information about their cultural identities.
Studies Reviewed
Several studies were observed to determine the thoughts and beliefs of children when it
came to the topic of cultural identity. There is research that suggest that the negative effects of
stereotype threat on performance are mediated by psychological and physiological mechanisms
such as anxiety, arousal and working memory (Singletary, Ruggs, Hebl, and Davies, 2009) The
research found that individuals that have stereotype threat not only has an effect on their
performance it also may impact major life decisions that they are to make (Singletary et al.,
2009). Further research into the topic of young children and cultural or racial identity revealed
that children are becoming more aware of gender and ethnic categories at a very young age
(Ambady, Shih, Kim, & Pittinsky, 2001). This research revealed that children are able to identify

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different ethnicities between 3 and 5 years of age (Ambady et al., 2001). Parents beliefs about
childrens academic potential are an established predictor of African American boys and girls
academic outcomes (Wood, D., Kurtz-Costes, B., Rowley, S. J., & Okeke-Adeyanju, N., 2010).
Results of the current study are consistent with the idea that parents gender stereotype
endorsement may shape the achievement outcomes of African American youths indirectly via its
influence on parents beliefs about childrens academic potential (Wood et al., 2010).
Defining Culture
Culture has several definitions and meanings to different individuals. Culture according
to cultural psychologists is seen as a custom complex made up of what people do and think in
their local contexts (Lee & Johnson 2007). This idea further explains how culture is a part of a
shared meaning [of] systems necessary to understand to be able to deeply engage
understanding at a more personal level (Lee & Johnson 2007). Cultural Identity is defined as
refers to one's sense of belonging to a particular culture or ethnic group (Ch.6, 2014). Culture
refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings,
hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and
material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations
through individual and group striving (Li & Karakowsky, 2001). Culture refers to the customs,
practices, languages, values and world views that define social groups such as those based on
nationality, ethnicity, region or common interests (Cultural Identity, 2010). Cultural identity is
important for peoples sense of self and how they relate to others (Cultural Identity, 2010). A
strong cultural identity can contribute to peoples overall wellbeing (Cultural Identity, 2010).
The Home. D. Wood, B. Kurtz-Costes, S.J Rowley, & N. Okeke-Adeyanju, (2010) wrote a
compelling article that discussed the implications of how parents view their male child success
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rate in school affects how that male child sees themselves. Parents education-related beliefs are
probably expressed through behaviors that communicate perceptions and expectations to
children, which in turn may influence childrens own academic beliefs and motivation (Woods
et al., 2010). Black/White families that a cohesive biracial identity is possible and that young
children naturally view themselves as biracial if they are exposed to both cultures and their foster
an open dialogue on the topic (Friedlander, Larney, Skau, Hotaling, Cutting, Schwam, 2000). .
When children are perceived as less capable, parents and teachers are less likely to encourage
them to take challenging coursework, even when childrens achievement scores qualify them for
advanced classes (Wood, Kurtz-Costes, Okeke-Adeyanju, & Rowley, 2009).
School Life. These features in the media in turn have the ability to affect self-esteem which is
important because it has been linked to student motivation, persistence, and academic
achievement (Martins & Harrison, 2011). African American boys face the additional challenge
posed by social expectations that African-American boys perform more poorly than African
American girls (Woods et al., 2010). Perceptions of individual discrimination committed by
peers and teachers were linked to lower self-esteem and increased depressive symptoms (Wong
et al., 2003) , and daily perceptions of racial discrimination committed by peers and teachers
were linked to subsequent declining grade point averages and academic self-concepts (Seaton,
2010). Teachers should provide several key elements in the classroom to ensure that students are
better prepared to learn about and accept their culture and the culture of others within the
classroom (Davidman & Davidman, 1994). It is also mentioned that due to the change of the way
of the world, it is time for educators to create a curriculum that is designed to promote
Multicultural/Multiethnic Knowledge (Davidman, Davidman 1994).

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The Media. Development occurs within interactions people experience within the changing
context they are imbedded in (Lee & Johnson 2007). Cultivation theory says that there are
common features in many programs on television (Martins & Harrison, 2011). These common
features can be explained by the importance on material wealth and the endorsement of gender
stereotypes, real world perceptions of racial and ethnic minorities, and body dissatisfaction
(Martins & Harrison, 2011). Cultivation Theory also postulates that media has the power to
create our social reality (Martins & Harrison 2011). According to a national survey an American
child spends about 7 hours a day viewing entertainment media (Martins & Harrison 2011).
Unfortunately, for African American children, the majority of comparisons available in the
television world consist of characters that are unprofessional and provocatively dressed
compared to their White counterparts (Martins & Harrison 2011).
The Effects of All. Televisions messages may encourage a narrow-minded view of the self,
because the time demands of a heavy television diet limit adolescents opportunities to take part
in the real-world experiences that would otherwise broaden and add complexity to their selfdefinition. (Hetherington & Parke, 2003). Self-esteem is said to be a multidimensional
construct. Also referred to as global self-esteem it includes the cognitive, social, and physical
appearance dimensions that combine to create an overall self-evaluation (Martins & Harrison,
2011). Self-esteem plays an important role in education; if children view themselves negatively
than they are likely to suffer academically (Martins & Harrison, 2011). Research demonstrates
that not only are young children able to make simple in-group/out group distinctions based on
gender and race, but children also attach favorable evaluations to in-group members presumably
to maintain their self-concept (Martins & Harrison 2011).

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Procedures

Description of the Research Design

The researcher determined that the best way to examine the thoughts and beliefs of young
children about their cultural identity would be to perform a survey research study (Frankel,
Wallen & Hyun, 2012). This research study is conducted to determine the thoughts and beliefs
of young children about cultural identity. The elementary school students in DeKalb IL District
428 as well as students who attend several preschools in the DeKalb County area will be studied.
Half of the participants will be male and the other half female. Each student and parent(s) will
be given a simple questionnaire to determine their demographics and background information.
After the initial questionnaire they will be given a survey of questions that ask them about their
television usage, what characters are seen when they watch television and how they feel about
the characters that they see on television that they identify with on a cultural or racial standpoint.
Description of the Sample
The participants for this research study will include a group of students from the
organization College Parents Group and outside parents as well. This group is made up of
college parents who attend Northern Illinois University and Kishwaukee Community College.
The people that make up the group are very diverse as far as race, culture, and the ages of
children. From the Parents Group we will target to interview and survey 16 children. The ages of
the children range from 3 to 8 years. The racial backgrounds of the children include African
American, Caucasian, Mixed Race children, as well as children who identify with the Hispanic
culture or other racial group. Another group of students that we will look at will be those from
the DeKalb School District #428 and their parents. These students range in age from 5-8 years
old and they all share the racial backgrounds as mentioned about the previous group of students.

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We will target interview 16 students, half girls and half boys. The ages of the students range from
age 3-5 years of age. The socioeconomic status of these families ranged from lower working
class to upper class. We will ask the questions in a natural setting to allow for the most natural
and realistic answers that the children have.
Description of Instruments Used
For this research study, we will be using the collection technique of a survey to
gather our data. This will be a descriptive study of early childhood aged children with age
grouping of 3 to 4years, 5 to 6 years, and 7 to 8 years from the Organization College Parents
Group here on the campus of Northern Illinois University. The parent will receive a detailed list
of information in regards to this particular study and will be ask to sign a parent/guardian consent
form before the child participates in this study.
Explanation of the Procedures Followed
The survey questions that we will ask will focus on racial/ethnic identification from the
childrens prospective of themselves and their world around them (e.g. their family, media they
may watch etc., and school environment). In addition to asking various identity questions we
will also ask the children to draw pictures of themselves as well as their family members with the
Crayola Multicultural Crayons in 8 Skin Tone Colors. We chose to use this additional technique
of drawing, because studies have shown that children can be somewhat reluctant to engage in
certain conversations. This way, we can have a visual starting point to gauge what the children
understand as their own racial/ethnic identification.

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Discussion of Internal Validity

Threats to internal validity in this study include: subject characteristics, location, history, and
attitude. In terms of location, this could be due the fact that if the researcher changes locations,
there will get a different set of information that will cause the research question to go into a
different direction then what it would have if the researcher had kept the location consistent.
Strategies for controlling this threat in the study include keeping the location consistent for all of
the participants. If this is not possible the researcher should be aware that the different locations
may change or jeopardize the outcome of the research.
The topic of different attitudes and experiences can impact the study because of several
reasons. If if a participant has different treatment than other participants the results may be off.
For example if a research assistant expresses interest and sympathy for participants, the
participants may respond better to the questions. This threat can be controlled by carefully
selecting research assistants who have had experience in counseling or dealing with individuals
that have experienced a traumatic event and/or have anxiety issues.
The threat of location could negatively affect the study. A noisy or distracting location
where there are lots of people, or near the location on campus where a major crisis occurred may
affect the participants levels of anxiety. This threat could be controlled by ensuring the location
where questionnaires are given and filled out by participants is a constant location, and one that
has little noise and distraction. Perhaps this could include a location off campus where the
location of the major crises may not be a prevalent in the participants minds.
Maturation is a threat to internal validity because participants may change, grow, or
develop after they have experienced a major crisis. They could seek counseling to help
themselves deal with the after effects of a crisis situation which may help with their anxiety

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symptoms. This would alter the study because their anxiety level may have actually decreased
due to maturation. This threat could be controlled by weeding out those participants who
experienced a decrease in their anxiety due to a crisis because they have sought counseling; thus
selecting a well selected comparison group ion the study.
Discussion of External Validity
The results of this study should be general enough that any children in the age group that
the study is conducted to gather information from are able to answer the questions. The setting
will be in a school setting to allow for the children to be in a place that they feel is comfortable.
Students with different demographic information will be selected to give some sort of
randomization to the study and a chance to see if there will be different responses. The study is
general due to the fact that some children may have different access to media and the world
around them. Hopefully the results of this study should be able to apply to all students who have
been affected positive, negative or neutral about their cultural identity.
Description and Justification of the Statistical Techniques or Other Methods of Analysis
Used
Based on the research question involved in this study, the expected thoughts and beliefs will be
described by using a frequency polygon as the graphical display. The frequency polygon will
also be used for the descriptive statistics in the study.
Ethics and Human Relations
Threats To the Participants, How the Researcher Will Gain Entry to Collect Data, and How
the Researcher Will Gain the Cooperation of the Participants
Threats

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This research study poses little to no threat to the participants who will take part in the
study. A harm that could occur would be the thought of not answering the question correctly or
not knowing the answer, which could affect their self-esteem. This can be controlled by,
informing participants that they will have to feel comfortable giving whatever response they feel
is truthful to how they feel about the question that is being asked of them. Confidentially of
participants is also something that can cause a threat to this study. If a research assistant or
anyone were to release the names or any identifying information of the participants and their
parents, this could be a breach of confidentiality. This issue can be controlled by giving anyone
who came in contact with the information sign a confidentiality agreement and also by assigning
the participants pseudonyms.
Entry to data collection setting
This can be obtained by getting the help of the school district principals and daycare
directors who are interested in the research study. The researcher will contact DeKalb School
District #428 to get permission to perform the study and set guidelines for administration of the
survey
Cooperation of research participants
Once the researcher has selected the participants, each school principal and directors of
the daycares will be contacted to sort out any additional details of scheduling and obtaining
parental waivers. The research participants and their parents will be informed that they are
assisting the researcher and/or assistant gather more information about how students feel and
think about their cultural identity, they are also asked to answer all the questions as honestly and
truthfully as they can. Cooperation can be obtained by assuring participants that everything

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within the study would stay confidential. Having the participants participate in the school setting
allows for the location to be convenient and easy for them to access.
Timeline
Timeline of the Major Steps of the Study and the Amount of Time Each Step Will Take
The total time for this from the beginning to the end will take about a year or so to
complete. The start process for this study will begin at the start of the new academic school term
(most likely August or September) for elementary students. The preparation of the instruments
and materials needed as well as the collection of the sample will assist with the start of the
research study process. A month will be enough time to prepare the instrument that will be used
for the study. The collection of the sample and the process of the instrument preparation will
take place when the school year begins, by the end of the first semester (December), the
information needed for the collection of the sample should be complete. At the start of the New
Year, participants will be contacted about interest to participate in the research study. By the
middle of February to the beginning of March, the actual research collection would have begun
with participants being met to complete the intended instrument to be used. Research conducting
will last about a month or so, therefore by early Spring (April) the analysis of the data can begin.
The researcher begins to analyze the data, which will probably take until the end of the academic
school year (Mid- June), most of the research information will be gathered. After the researcher
has analyzed the data successfully, the reporting process will begin. The reporting process would
last from June to early August. By the beginning of the next academic school year the studys
findings will be ready to present to the research committee.

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References

Ambady, N., Shih, M., Kim, A., & Pittinsky, T. (n.d.). Stereotype Susceptibility in Children:
Effects Of Identity Activation On Quantitative Performance. Psychological Science, 385390.
Chapter 6. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2014, from http://quizlet.com/27982094/chapter-6flash-cards/
Culutral Identity. (2010). The Social Report 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from
http://www.socialreport.msd.govt.nz/cultural-identity/
Davidman, L., & Davidman, P. (1994). The Idea of Multicultural Education: Past, Present, and
Future Possibilities. In Teaching with a multicultural perspective a practical guide (pp. 227). New York: Longman.

Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. (2011). How to design and evaluate research in
education (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Friedlander, M., Larney, L., Skau, M., Hotaling, M., Cutting, M., & Schwam, M. (2000).
Bicultural identification: Experiences of internationally adopted children and their
parents. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 47, 2, 187 198
Hetherington, E., & Parke, R. (2003). Child psychology: A contemporary viewpoint (Updated 5th
ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Martins, N., & Harrison, K., (2011). Racial and Gender Differences in the Relationship between
Childrens Television Use and Self-Esteem: A Longitudinal Panel Study. Communication
Research, 39(3) 338-357

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Lee, K., & Johnson, A.S., (2007). Child Development in Cultural Contexts: Implications of
Cultural Psychology for Early Childhood Teacher Education. Springer Science +
Business Media, LLC
Li & Karakowsky (2001). Do We See Eye-to-Eye? Implications of Cultural Differences for
Cross-Cultural Management Research and Practice. The Journal of Psychology, 135(5),
501-517.
Parke, R. D. & Gauvain, M. (2009). Child Psychology (7th Edition). New York, NY: McGraw
Hill
Seaton, E.K. (2010). The Influence of Cognitive Development and Perceived Racial
Discrimination on the Psychological Well-being of African American Youth. Journal of
Youth and Adolescence
Singletary, S., Ruggs, E., Hebl, M., & Davies, P. (n.d.). Literature Overview: Stereotype Threat:
Causes, Effects, and Remedies. Retrieved November 26, 2014, from
http://www.engr.psu.edu/awe/misc/ARPs/ARP_StereotypeThreat_Overview_31909.pdf
Wood, D., Kurtz-Costes, B., Rowley, S. J., & Okeke-Adeyanju, N. (2010). Mothers' academic
gender stereotypes and education-related beliefs about sons and daughters in African
American families. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(2), 521-530.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0018481

Tasha Smith
ETR 520, Fall 2014