Critical incidents in the development of (multi)ethnic-racial identity: Experiences of individuals with mixed ethnic-racial backgrounds in the U.S.

Secure ethnic-racial identity (ERI) is tied to well-being, especially for minority individuals; however, there is still little consensus on the key processes and optimal outcomes of various multiethnic-racial (ME-R; i.e., individuals with parents from different ethnic-racial groups) identity development models. In this study, we examine the critical incidents in personal and social relationships that are central to ME-R identity development. Twentynine ME-R individuals provided retrospective accounts of incidents and conversations they self-perceived to be critical to their ERI development. Four major themes emerged: incidents and conversations surrounding intergroup contact, confrontation, heritage, and appearance were all recalled as critical to ME-R identity development. These findings highlight the importance of studying the ways that ERI is constituted through interaction with others. Implications and directions for future research are discussed

“Feeling Warmth and Close to Her”: Communication and Resilience Reflected in Turning Points in Positive Adult Stepchild–Stepparent Relationships

With the goal of understanding the development of positive stepchild–stepparent relationships, the researchers focused on turning points characterizing the interaction of adult stepchildren who have a positive bond with a stepparent. Engaging a relational turning points perspective, 38 stepchildren (males and females, ages 25 to 52 years old) who reported a positive stepparent relationship were interviewed, generating 269 turning points which were categorized into 15 turning point types and coded by valence. Turning points occurring most frequently were: prosocial actions, quality time, conflict/ disagreement, changes in household/family composition, and rituals. Findings are discussed, including implications for developing and enacting resilient and positive stepchild–stepparent relationships and future directions for researchers wanting to focus on positive family interaction

“Feeling Warmth and Close to Her”: Communication and Resilience Reflected in Turning Points in Positive Adult Stepchild–Stepparent Relationships

With the goal of understanding the development of positive stepchild–stepparent relationships, the researchers focused on turning points characterizing the interaction of adult stepchildren who have a positive bond with a stepparent. Engaging a relational turning points perspective, 38 stepchildren (males and females, ages 25 to 52 years old) who reported a positive stepparent relationship were interviewed, generating 269 turning points which were categorized into 15 turning point types and coded by valence. Turning points occurring most frequently were: prosocial actions, quality time, conflict/ disagreement, changes in household/family composition, and rituals. Findings are discussed, including implications for developing and enacting resilient and positive stepchild–stepparent relationships and future directions for researchers wanting to focus on positive family interaction

A long look back: an analysis of 50 years of organizational communication research (1964-2013)

As a means of understanding the identity and heritage of organizational communication scholarship, we conducted a content analysis of 1,399 articles published in communication journals since 1964. Our findings demonstrate key turning points in organizational communication scholarship, trends in the development of knowledge, and areas in which this discipline can continue to grow in future endeavors. While research has problematized power and has emphasized the constitutive nature of communication, more research is needed to explore alternative forms of organizing and to expand diversity scholarship beyond gender and nationality. While research has grown more theoretically complex, work can still be done developing meso-level theories that highlight the role of communication in various organizing processes. While qualitative methods have erased the dominance of quantitative methods, greater parity and an appreciation for how methods may inform each other would advance scholarly contributions. While the number of studies conducted in organizations has grown, the percentage of studies using field work methods has declined, increasing the risk that research may miss important contextual cues. We discuss the implications of these findings as a road map for new scholars wanting to understand what organizational communication has been and all scholars wanting to know what organizational communication can be

Mental Health Care and Sociocultural Context: Understanding Intersections of Stigma Socialization and Mental Health Care Service Use in Rural Areas

43 million adults in the United States have a mental health condition, yet the majority of these individuals (over 50%) will not receive treatment (Mental Health America, 2018). This problem is particularly complex in rural areas where shortages of mental health care providers (Handley et al., 2014) and a unique sociocultural environment (Ulrich-Schad & Duncan, 2018) exacerbate the structural and attitudinal barriers to treatment seeking. Extant rural-nonrural classification limit our understanding of how this treatment seeking process unfolds in rural areas because these classifications do not account for rural sociocultural environments. This dissertation investigates links between mental health stigma, mental health care service use, and rural sociocultural context in two subsequent studies. In Study One, I explore the ways in which stigmatized attitudes toward mental health are socialized within the family and community and how these constructs relate to the perceived importance of treatment and support across rural-nonrural groups. In Study Two, I use an ecological health communication perspective (Moran et al., 2016) to conceptualize macro-level sociocultural norms as attributes of rural identity and investigate how these attributes influence mental health stigma and treatment seeking intentions in rural areas. Findings from Study One reveal that family and community stigma play an important role in shaping the extent to which individuals internalize the negative stereotypes associated with mental health treatment (self-stigma; Vogel et al., 2006) and the extent to which individuals perceive formal treatment and informal support providers as important resources. Results also suggest that these associations do not vary across rural-nonrural groups when assessing rurality using rural-nonrural typologies (Rural-urban Continuum Codes; RUCC; USDA, 2013). Study Two results reveal that attributes of rural identity (PSOC, self-reliance, self-efficacy, stoicism, control) moderate direct and indirect paths between stigma socialization variables (perceived family and perceived community stigma), mental health stigma (self-stigma, perceived public stigma), and treatment (mental health practitioner, general practitioner) and support (semiformal, informal, self-help) intention. Findings from Study Two suggest that attributes of attributes of rural identity function as rural sociocultural values as well as mechanisms that reinforce those values

Mental Health Care and Sociocultural Context: Understanding Intersections of Stigma Socialization and Mental Health Care Service Use in Rural Areas

43 million adults in the United States have a mental health condition, yet the majority of these individuals (over 50%) will not receive treatment (Mental Health America, 2018). This problem is particularly complex in rural areas where shortages of mental health care providers (Handley et al., 2014) and a unique sociocultural environment (Ulrich-Schad & Duncan, 2018) exacerbate the structural and attitudinal barriers to treatment seeking. Extant rural-nonrural classification limit our understanding of how this treatment seeking process unfolds in rural areas because these classifications do not account for rural sociocultural environments. This dissertation investigates links between mental health stigma, mental health care service use, and rural sociocultural context in two subsequent studies. In Study One, I explore the ways in which stigmatized attitudes toward mental health are socialized within the family and community and how these constructs relate to the perceived importance of treatment and support across rural-nonrural groups. In Study Two, I use an ecological health communication perspective (Moran et al., 2016) to conceptualize macro-level sociocultural norms as attributes of rural identity and investigate how these attributes influence mental health stigma and treatment seeking intentions in rural areas. Findings from Study One reveal that family and community stigma play an important role in shaping the extent to which individuals internalize the negative stereotypes associated with mental health treatment (self-stigma; Vogel et al., 2006) and the extent to which individuals perceive formal treatment and informal support providers as important resources. Results also suggest that these associations do not vary across rural-nonrural groups when assessing rurality using rural-nonrural typologies (Rural-urban Continuum Codes; RUCC; USDA, 2013). Study Two results reveal that attributes of rural identity (PSOC, self-reliance, self-efficacy, stoicism, control) moderate direct and indirect paths between stigma socialization variables (perceived family and perceived community stigma), mental health stigma (self-stigma, perceived public stigma), and treatment (mental health practitioner, general practitioner) and support (semiformal, informal, self-help) intention. Findings from Study Two suggest that attributes of attributes of rural identity function as rural sociocultural values as well as mechanisms that reinforce those values

Communication Accommodation and Identity Gaps as Predictors of Relational Solidarity in Interfaith Family Relationships

Guided by Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) and Communication Theory of Identity (CTI), the purpose of this study was to investigate how families communicatively negotiate religious differences and how that negotiation is related to parent-child relational solidarity. Specifically, we examined the direct effects of (non)accommodative communication on relational solidarity and indirect effects via identity gaps. Using a cross-sectional survey from emerging adult college students (N = 234), we found nonaccommodative communication is indirectly related to lower relational solidarity through increased identity gaps. Accommodative communication is indirectly related to higher relational solidarity through decreased identity gaps. When parents use accommodative strategies, they may help alleviate the mismatch between their child’s personal, enacted, and relational layers of identity, and foster increased relational solidarity

Critical incidents in the development of (multi)ethnic-racial identity: Experiences of individuals with mixed ethnic-racial backgrounds in the U.S.

Secure ethnic-racial identity (ERI) is tied to well-being, especially for minority individuals; however, there is still little consensus on the key processes and optimal outcomes of various multiethnic-racial (ME-R; i.e., individuals with parents from different ethnic-racial groups) identity development models. In this study, we examine the critical incidents in personal and social relationships that are central to ME-R identity development. Twentynine ME-R individuals provided retrospective accounts of incidents and conversations they self-perceived to be critical to their ERI development. Four major themes emerged: incidents and conversations surrounding intergroup contact, confrontation, heritage, and appearance were all recalled as critical to ME-R identity development. These findings highlight the importance of studying the ways that ERI is constituted through interaction with others. Implications and directions for future research are discussed

Investigating Layers of Identity and Identity Gaps in Refugee Resettlement Experiences in the Midwestern United States

Post-migration, refugees experience changes within personal and community relationships that have dramatic effects on their sense of self and, in turn, well-being. § During resettlement, refugees are forced to reconceptualize identity as they encounter and integrate into a new host country and culture. § Tensions emerge when integrating one’s self-concept into a web of new personal and social networks while simultaneously managing and adapting to larger social norms and public attitudes in the host country. § The epicenter of tensions and experiences that create turbulence in the lives of refugees is the negotiation and reconceptualization of identity within relationships and across communities. Four multiple, shifting, interdependent layers of identity simultaneously construct the overall sense of self. § Incongruence can emerge between layers, generating an identity gap. § How refugees experience layers of identity provides the foundation for identifying and understanding potential identity-related tensions that likely play a role in negative psychosocial outcomes during resettlement

Perceived Benefits and Challenges of a Multiethnic-Racial Identity: Insight From Adults With Mixed Heritage

The purpose of this inquiry was to explore the lived experiences of multiethnic-racial individuals (i.e., individuals with parents from different ethnic-racial groups). In-depth interviews were conducted with 29 adults from the United States with mixed ethnic-racial backgrounds ranging in age from 18 to 52 (female n = 20, male n = 9). We identified a number of themes related to perceived benefits (e.g., pluralistic world views, stronger sense of self) and challenges (e.g., identity tensions, communal concerns) of having a mixed heritage. Findings are discussed in terms of four considerations for ethnic-racial identity of individuals with mixed ethnic-racial backgrounds: emphasizing constellations of experiences, life-span and developmental considerations of identity, (mixed) ethnic-racial identity as constituted in interactions, and the potential promise of pluralistic world views