Dealing with Cultural Diversity: The Endorsement Societal Models Among Ethnic Minority and Majority Youth in the Netherlands

• NCJ Number: 219711
• Journal: Youth & Society Volume: 39 Issue: 1 Dated: September 2007 Pages: 112-131
• Author(s): Peary Brug; Maykel Verkuyten
• Date Published: September 2007
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article examined the endorsement of four models for dealing with multiculturalism: mosaic, melting pot, assimilation, and segregation and conducted this research among ethnic minority and majority youth in the Netherlands.

Abstract

As predicted, an interaction effect was found indicating that for the minority groups, group identification was positively associated with the endorsement of the multicultural mosaic model and negatively with the endorsement of the assimilation model. In contrast, for the majority group, group identification was negatively related to multiculturalism and positively to assimilation. For minority groups, high group identifiers were more likely to favor the mosaic model. For them, the possibility of cultural diversity is important in itself. These findings indicate that to understand adolescents’ endorsement of different societal models for dealing with ethnic and cultural diversity, it is important to pay attention to different groups and beliefs. The findings suggest that the endorsement of the societal models are related to more general factors and processes, such as valuing equality and social cohesion, that work quite similarly among majority and minority groups. Issues of cultural, linguistic, religious, and ethnic differences have taken renewed and increased importance in many countries, institutions, and local contexts. Different ways for dealing with diversity have been proposed and various models have been discussed and examined. The impact of models dealing with cultural diversity may differ for ethnic majority and minority groups. This article examined adolescents’ attitudes of both majority (ethnically Dutch) and minority group members (Turks, Moroccans, Surinamese) living in the Netherlands. The main question is the extent to which the endorsement of different societal models that deal with cultural diversity differs between majority and minority youth, and how far the endorsement is related to three key arguments in the public debate on diversity. A study was conducted in which the endorsements of the mosaic, melting-pot, assimilation, and segregation models were examined in relation to group identification and beliefs about social cohesion and equality. Tables, references