TY - JOUR
T1 - Unraveling cultural threads
T2 - A qualitative study of culture and ethnic identity among Urban Southwestern American Indian youth parents and elders
AU - House, Laura E.
AU - Stiffman, Arlene R.
AU - Brown, Eddie
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by the following grants: NIMH K02 MH01797-01A1, and NIDA R24DA13572-0, and R01 DA13227-01.
PY - 2006/8
Y1 - 2006/8
N2 - We utilized qualitative methods to explore ethnic and cultural identity among urban Southwestern American Indian youth, parents, and elders. Twenty-four respondents ranging in age from approximately 13 to 90 years were interviewed in focus groups divided by age. Six major themes and seventeen sub-themes related to tribal and pan-American Indian ethnic identity were identified. Two important findings emerging from our study were that common ethnic identity constructs can be validated and new identity constructs discovered through qualitative methods. These and other findings suggest the importance of qualitative methods in better understanding cultural and ethnic identity. Of particular significance was the notion that the most salient and relevant identity constructs can be learned from the voices and perspectives of ethnic identity members themselves across generations, age, tribal groups, gender, and reservation and urban residence.
AB - We utilized qualitative methods to explore ethnic and cultural identity among urban Southwestern American Indian youth, parents, and elders. Twenty-four respondents ranging in age from approximately 13 to 90 years were interviewed in focus groups divided by age. Six major themes and seventeen sub-themes related to tribal and pan-American Indian ethnic identity were identified. Two important findings emerging from our study were that common ethnic identity constructs can be validated and new identity constructs discovered through qualitative methods. These and other findings suggest the importance of qualitative methods in better understanding cultural and ethnic identity. Of particular significance was the notion that the most salient and relevant identity constructs can be learned from the voices and perspectives of ethnic identity members themselves across generations, age, tribal groups, gender, and reservation and urban residence.
KW - American indian youth
KW - Ethnic and cultural identity
KW - Intergenerational contexts
KW - Pan-American indian identity
KW - Qualitative methods
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U2 - 10.1007/s10826-006-9038-9
DO - 10.1007/s10826-006-9038-9
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33747891919
SN - 1062-1024
VL - 15
SP - 393
EP - 407
JO - Journal of Child and Family Studies
JF - Journal of Child and Family Studies
IS - 4
ER -