COMPARISON OF ETHNIC MINORITY AND NATIVE MAJORITY YOUTH IN THEIR PERCEPTION OF SUCCESS IN LIFE

Year 2010, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 71 - 82, 01.06.2010

Katrien Mertens“

Abstract

This study investigated ethnic similarities and differences in the perception of success in life among Belgian adolescents. A specifically developed scale (Perception of Success in Life scale) was administered to 1726 participants. Respondents rated the importance of 20 success-items. The dichotomy individualism-collectivism was employed to better understand differences between both groups. According to this dimension Muslim ethnic minority youth has a rather collectivistic background, whereas the culture of majority youth is typically Western individualistic. As expected ethnic minority youth valued a more traditional (collectivistic) perspective of success, in which family life plays a central role, combined with self direction (individualistic), whereas majority adolescents specifically favour perceptions related to autonomy (self direction)

Keywords

Ethnic minority youth, success in life

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