An Empirical Exploration of the Psychological Acculturation Process Amongst First-Year Economics Students at Stellenbosch University

Date
2022-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: South Africa’s higher education landscape has become highly diverse. However, many instances of inequity and discrimination are still present within and between institutions and institution types, especially along racial lines (Essop, 2020). Scholars (Heleta, 2016), students (Open Stellenbosch Collective in press, 2015), and even the Department of Higher Education (DHET, 2008) have levelled the complaint that institutions lack the will to transform. For example, while Stellenbosch University (SU) policy promotes diversity and equality (multiculturalism), black (African) and coloured South African students experience the climate as othering and uncomfortable (Biscombe et al., 2017). In ideal acculturation conditions, students would navigate SU according to a preference for a particular acculturation strategy that would mediate the relationship between intercultural contact and acculturation adaptations such as wellbeing, intergroup relations, and academic performance (Berry, 1997). Four acculturation strategies (integration, assimilation, segregation, and marginalisation) are produced at the intersection of the two acculturation dimensions of ethnic identity and intergroup contact willingness. Research has reliably demonstrated that an integration strategy preference (in the right conditions) can result in both higher levels of wellbeing (e.g., Berry, 1990; Berry et al, 1989; Van Oudenhoven et al.,1998) and successful psychological adjustment amongst ethnic group members (Berry & Sam, 1998). Research on the process of acculturation in the developing world and in the South African context more specifically is lacking in comparison to that of the developed world. Within this context, then, several gaps are evident including limited research on acculturation in Sub-Saharan Africa, an absence of research into acculturation in the mainstream groups, limited research comparing acculturation for mainstream and ethnic groups, and relatively little attention has been afforded to individual and psychological antecedents and to domain-specific sociocultural outcomes such as academic performance. The following secondary data analysis aimed to determine the state of acculturation strategy preferences amongst both ethnic and mainstream first-year Economics students studying at SU in 2019. Moreover, the study explored whether the respective acculturation preferences and expectations of these groups are predicted by individual or psychological variables including (a) background demographics factors such as school quintile, socioeconomic status, home language, gender, and age; (b) pre-university experiences of intercultural contact, (c) norms towards intercultural contact, (d) perceived intergroup similarity, (e) perceived discrimination, and (f) frequencies of negative and positive home community intergroup contact experiences. The present research then sought to determine the associations between acculturation strategy preferences and acculturation outcomes such as (a) intergroup attitudes, (b) frequency of positive and negative intergroup contact experiences at SU, (c) general wellbeing, (d) and academic performance. The integration acculturation strategy was the most popular amongst both the mainstream and ethnic group. Adaptation difficulties for ethnic group members were evidenced by significantly lower wellbeing and academic performance amongst this group. The results further suggest that one driver behind these outcomes could be the experience of high rates of negative intergroup contact. Higher rates of outgroup attitudes could be promoted amongst ambivalent and unwelcoming mainstream groups to reduce negative contact, through interventions targeting intergroup similarity.
AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Alhoewel die hoëronderwyslandskap in Suid-Afrika hoogs divers geword het, is daar egter steeds baie gevalle van ongelykheid en diskriminasie binne en tussen instellings teenwoordig, veral langs rasselyne (Essop, 2020). Skoliere (Heleta, 2016), studente (Open Stellenbosch Collective in pers, 2015), en selfs die Departement van Hoër Onderwys (DHOO, 2008) het die klagte gelê dat instellings nie die wil besit om te transformeer nie. Byvoorbeeld, terwyl beleide vir diversiteit en gelykheid (multikulturalisme) van bevorder is op die Universiteit Stellenbosch (US) ervaar swart (Afrika) en bruin Suid-Afrikaanse studente die klimaat as anders en ongemaklik (Biscombe et al., 2017). In ideale akkulturasietoestande, sal studente die US navigeer volgens 'n voorkeur vir 'n bepaalde akkulturasiestrategie wat die verhouding tussen interkulturele kontak en akkulturasieaanpassings, soos welstand, intergroepverhoudings en akademiese prestasie, sal bemiddel (Berry, 1997). Vier akkulturasiestrategieë (integrasie, assimilasie, segregasie en marginalisering) word by die kruising van die twee akkulturasiedimensies van etniese identiteit en intergroepkontakgewilligheid geproduseer. Navorsing het betroubaar getoon dat 'n integrasiestrategie-voorkeur (in die regte omstandighede) beide hoër vlakke van welstand tot gevolg kan hê (vgl Berry, 1990; Berry et al, 1989; Van Oudenhoven et al., 1998) en suksesvolle sielkundige aanpassing onder etniese groeplede (Berry & Sam, 1998). Navorsing oor die proses van akkulturasie in die ontwikkelende wêreld, en in die Suid- Afrikaanse konteks spesifiek, ontbreek in vergelyking met dié van die ontwikkelde wêreld. Binne hierdie konteks is verskeie leemtes duidelik, insluitend beperkte navorsing oor akkulturasie in Afrika suid van die Sahara, 'n afwesigheid van navorsing oor akkulturasie in hoofstroomgroepe, beperkte navorsing wat akkulturasie vir hoofstroom- en etniese groepe vergelyk, en relatief min aandag gegee aan individuele en psigologiese antesedente sowel as domeinspesifieke sosiokulturele uitkomste soos akademiese prestasie. Die sekondêre data-analise wat in hierdie tesis aangebied is het ten doel gehad om die stand van akkulturasiestrategie-oriëntasies te bepaal onder beide etniese en hoofstroomeerstejaar- ekonomiestudente wat in 2019 aan die US studeer. Verder het dié studie ondersoek of die onderskeie akkulturasievoorkeure en verwagtinge van hierdie groepe voorspel word deur individuele of psigologiese veranderlikes, insluitend (a) agtergrond demografiese faktore soos skoolkwintiel, sosio-ekonomiese status, huistaal, geslag en ouderdom; (b) pre-universitêre ervarings van interkulturele kontak, (c) norme ten opsigte van interkulturele kontak, (d) persepsies van intergroep-verlykbaarheid, (e) persepsies van diskriminasie, en (f) frekwensies van negatiewe en positiewe tuisgemeenskap-intergroepkontakervarings. Die huidige navorsing het daarna gepoog om die verbande tussen akkulturasiestrategie-oriëntasies en akkulturasieuitkomste soos (a) intergroephoudings, (b) frekwensie van positiewe en negatiewe intergroepkontakervarings aan die US, (c) algemene welstand, (d) en akademiese prestasie te bepaal. Die integrasie-akkulturasiestrategie was die gewildste onder beide hoofstroom- en etniese groepe. Aanpassingsprobleme vir etniese groeplede word bewys deur aansienlik laer welstand en akademiese prestasie onder hierdie groep. Die resultate dui verder daarop dat een drywer agter hierdie uitkomste die ervaring van hoë koerse van negatiewe intergroepkontak in beide tuisgemeenskappe en op US wees. Houdings teenoor buitestaanders wat ervarings van negatiewe intergroepkontak verminder, kan onder ambivalente en onwelkome hoofstroomgroepe bevorder word deur intervensies wat persepsies van intergroepverlykbaarheid teiken.
Description
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Acculturation, Race discrimination, Intergroup relations, Educational equalization
Citation