Acculturation, Child‐Rearing and Self‐Esteem in Two North American Indian Tribes

Abstract

Studied self-concept in 2 groups of Florida Indians: the Big Cypress Seminoles (SM) and the Miccosukee (MC) Tribe, the latter designated by various criteria as less acculturated and showing a higher level of social integration. Culturally modified instruments were administered to 28 SM and 34 MC day-school children and to 19 SM and 13 MC mothers. As hypothesized, the less acculturated MCs showed higher positive self-regard than the more acculturated SMs, and the difference was true for both mothers and children in both tribes. Children 7–10 yrs old were significantly higher than those 11–14 yrs old, and female children were higher than males. Boys" self-concept was significantly correlated with perceived parental love, and girls" with their mothers" self-concept. Other correlations are reported and discussed in detail. This and other research suggest that some maternal correlates of positive self-regard may be culture-specific, and that others are generalizable only when a culture is able to maintain a certain level of integration. When social disintegration occurs, the correlates become milieu-specific and must be sought in the functional interrelations of sociocultural variables and family process. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)