Phinney's Model of Ethnic Identity

Phinney's Model of Ethnic Identity

Donnaly Atajar, Carlos Cortes, Daniela Gurgol

Student 2

Critiques

Stage 2

Ethnic Identity Search

Moratorium

How would you advise this student?

You notice that one of the transfer students you supervise has been very disengaged and irritable while at work. Your student has said before that they are struggling to find where they belong on campus so you call them in to meet with you. During the meeting, they share that they've been feeling upset. In one of their classes, DACA came up and one student said that “these illegals just take our jobs, classes, scholarships and still complain. They are all just children of criminals and should be deported.” Your student tells you that while they and their parents are citizens, their grandparents came to the US illegally. They express that they have never had to think so much about how they are seen by society, but since transferring, it is all they seem to think about. They are even more frustrated in themselves because they don’t even know how to respond when someone makes a misinformed comment like the one about DACA.

• All the research has been conducted in the United States. The model might not be applicable in other countries or with students from certain countries.

• It must be considered alongside other developmental theories to create a more holistic view.

• Ethnic identity and heritage awareness vary among ethnic groups.

• This theory is dependent on the majority society oppressing the minoritized groups.

Student 3

How can you support this student?

“I attended a Black Lives Matter rally this weekend. While I don’t share the same ethnic background as those who started this movement, I believe that the struggles of the Black community are my struggles too. I am interested in learning about the struggles of other ethnic groups as it helps me to strengthen my own ethnical identity and to better understand my role in society.”

Stage 3

Ethnic Identity Achievement

Student 1

Stage 1

Unexamined Identity

Diffusion - Foreclosure

Implications for Higher Ed

“As a first-year, I’m really excited to get involved on campus! I attended the Enormous Activities Fair last week to find out about the different student group on campus. As I navigated the event, club members from different cultural groups kept handing me flyers, assuming I was the same nationality as them (probably from how I look), and telling me I should learn more about my culture or find my community at school. People from cultural groups who didn’t look like me tried to entice me to join by saying that learning about other ethnic groups will boost my critical thinking and plus I’ll get to try new foods. I don’t get this. We’ve all been our certain ethnicities our whole lives--why waste more time on something you already grew up knowing? You eat the food, practice the traditions, and repeat. Sure sometimes people think my food smells weird or mention stereotypes as jokes, but that’s harmless. We’re all just people. I’d rather spend my time doing philanthropy to help others or doing professional development to break into my career ASAP.”

What resources or experiences could help this student?

• Higher education institutions should create a welcoming environment that facilitates ethnic identity exploration for students.

• Higher education professionals should be aware of their own identities and able to discuss the reality of living in a dominant culture that has a history of oppression in the United States.

• This theory provides a strategy for supporting students who may not share your ethnic identity.