Content area
Full Text
Abstract: Factor analytic findings from culturally specific instruments measuring traditionalism as one aspect of cultural identity are described, based on the self-reports of American Indian children and parents. Findings indicate that traditionalism is a multidimensional construct that can be measured reliably. Results are important because few psychometrically adequate instruments exist to assess either traditionalism or acculturation among American Indian families. Implications for refinements in measuring child and family acculturation and examining the relationship with the social/emotional development of American Indian children are discussed.
The literature indicates that, in comparison to children of other ethnic minority groups, American Indian and Alaska Native children are at greater risk for emotional and behavioral disorders and negative psychosocial conditions such as poverty, family and community violence, substance abuse, and substandard living conditions (e. g., Beiser & Attneave, 1982; Berlin, 1987; Gotowiec & Beiser, 1993-94; Manson, Walker, & Kivlahan, 1987; U. S. Office of Technology Assessment, 1990). In addition, there is evidence that the stress of attempting to adapt to two disparate cultures has significant impact on overall mental health (Rogler, Cortes, & Malgady, 1991), drug abuse (Fuertes & Westbrook, 1996), suicide rates (Lester, 1999), and eating disorder symptoms (Perez, Voelz, Pettit, & Joiner, 2002). Conversely, strengthening cultural or ethnic identity may reduce problems such as substance abuse (Gilchrist, Schinke, Trimble, & Cvetkovich, 1987), suicide (Lester, 1999), loneliness, and depression (Roberts & Phinney, 1999); while enhancing emotional well-being (LaFromboise, Coleman, & Gerton, 1993) social adjustment (Coleman, Casali, & Wampold, 2001), selfesteem, coping ability, and optimism (Phinney, Cantu, & Kurtz, 1997; Roberts & Phinney, 1999). Understanding how American Indian and Alaska Native children and families adapt to living in a bicultural context is a critical aspect of promoting positive social and emotional development, preventing emotional and behavioral problems, and effectively treating problems when they arise.
Traditional indigenous cultures are an essential, but highly complex, resource for promoting positive mental health and addressing mental health problems among American Indian and Alaska Native children (Berlin, 1987; Tharp, 1991). Sociocultural level movements that "selectively return the life style of a group to a quasi-traditional form" (Berry, 1980, p. 270) involve changes at the individual level in identity, attitudes, beliefs, and stress reactions (Berry, 1980; Segall, Lonner, & Berry, 1998). Retraditionalization, the increasing...