Ethnic identity among Lebanese-Armenian high-school students

Abstract

Educational researchers are becoming more and more interested in adolescent identity formation in educational contexts as research shows that the school environment contributes to a large extent to this process (Grant, 1997). Also, research has shown that ethnic identity has protective effects for psychological health across different populations, especially for minority youth (Phinney, 2006; Yip, Seaton, and Sellers, 2006).However, the relationship between ethnic identity and academic achievement has been inconsistent in research (Brouillard and Hartlaub, 2006; Secrist, 2007; Whitesell, Mitchell, and Spicer, 2009; Zarate, Bhimji, and Reese, 2005). Thus, the purpose of this study was to (a) examine the relationship between ethnic identity, self-esteem and academic achievement; and (b) explore the meaning of ethnic identity in a sample of Lebanese-Armenian high-school students. A survey design was employed in which questionnaires, with close-ended and an open-ended question, were used as data collection tools. The sample consisted of 362 Lebanese-Armenian students (grades 10, 11, 12) from seven Armenian schools and one non-Armenian school located in Beirut and its suburbs. Results revealed that students do not suffer from either low ethnic identity or self-esteem and there was no correlation between ethnic identity and each of self-esteem and academic achievement for this particular sample of Lebanese-Armenian high-school students. Concerning the conceptualization of what it means to be Armenian in Lebanon, three main themes with corresponding sub-themes emerged from the student responses: duty and responsibility (51.2percent), an advantage or a privilege (29.4percent) and a struggle (18.4percent). Implications of these findings and future recommendations are discussed.