The influence of parentage and ethnic community context on ethnic self-identification, ethnic attitudes and behaviour were examined in 245 indigenous Sami adolescents in northern Norway. The study found that ethnic identity was strongly related to both parentage and type of ethnic community. Monoethnic adolescents at the coast (with great integration and assimilation) identified themselves mostly as bicultural or Norwegian. In contrast, monoethnic adolescents in the highland (with strong ethnic support), they identified themselves strongly as Samis. The family and the ethnic community provide important cultural contexts for ethnic identity. The current study explored contextual factors in the ethnic identity of the Samis in Norway.
The family’s handling of ethnic topics and its ethnic attitudes are important in establishing ethnic identity in children. Inter-ethnic marriages forms an important structural aspect in family contexts. Inter-ethnic marriages have been assumed to weakedn ethnic ties, but little research exists on this topic. Because of the possible pull from more than one culture, multiethnic adolescents may not feel as strongly attached to either parental ethnic group as monoethnic peers. Moreover, adolescents are more susceptible to external factors such as their peers or educational institutions.
The purpose of the study was to examine how family and contextual variables influence ethnic self-identification and ethnic attitudes and practices. The study intended to explore how community context and parentage were related to ethnic identity. The study was conducted in Finnmark, the northernmost county of Norway. The area is sparsely populated by both Samis and Norwegians.
Coastal communities: Adolescents with monoethnic parentage mostly identified themselves as bicultural or Norwegian. Adolescents with mixed heritage labeled themselves strongly as Norwegians.
Highland communities: Most adolescents identified themselves as Sami. Those with mixed ancestry frequently identified themselves as bicultural.
Reflection:
This study revealed that the manifestation of ethnic self-identification in indigenous Sami adolescents is closely related to contextual factors. Ethnic self-identification was strongly related to the ethnicity of the parents. Children from monoethnic parentage make their first identifications with parents representing one ethnic group. However, adolescents with mixed heritage face the challenge of dealing with at least two cultures. The results, however, indicate that even though strong ethnic socialization is more likely in monoethnic families, nearly half of the adolescents from mixed families still identified with their ethnic group of origin.
Coastal communities: Strengthened their Norwegian identity among their multi-ethnic peers.
Highland communities: Strengthened their monoethnic identity as Sami.
Moreover, the ethnic labeling in both monoethnic and mixed Sami adolescents showed flexibility and variation with the context. The results show that indigenous Sami adolescents can develop bicultural competence whether they live in multicultural communities or in more culturally homogenous ones. The pressure of being more “ethnic” in the Highlands and being more “dominant” at the coast may describe the cultural challenges these adolescents face. In addition, adolescents embedded in the dominant Norwegian culture at the coast may lose their cultural identity because of limited support from the ethnic group. The dominant identification may indicate assimilation, where the cultural identity is lost.
Bibliography:
Kvernmo Siv, Sonja Heyerdahl. “Ethnic identity in Aboriginal Sami Adolescents: The Impact of the Family and the Ethnic Community Context.” Journal of Adolescence 19 (1996): 453-463.
