Author ORCID Identifier
Date Available
1-17-2020
Year of Publication
2019
Degree Name
Master of Science in Community & Leadership Development
Document Type
Master's Thesis
College
Agriculture, Food and Environment
Department/School/Program
Community and Leadership Development
First Advisor
Dr. Kristina Hains
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the daily life of the younger generation of Mexican Americans through a phenomenology design. Specifically, in regard to how the culture-sharing pattern of biculturalism is reflected in their lives and the way they construct their bicultural identity. The study utilized rich qualitative data to paint a clear and descriptive picture of the internal process of biculturalism within eight Mexican American college students. Ultimately, the data analysis aimed to collect and reflect their voices and the stories. This was done through three distinct data methods that complemented each other: interviews (oral), photo elicitation (visual), and document analysis (written). Results indicate that, the way bicultural individuals organize and respond to their culture in terms of behavior and cognition, is independent from the feelings they experience while engaging in cultural frame switching. No matter how well the participants are able to organize their dual cultures and compartmentalize them in their life, they still struggle with conflicting and opposing feelings. Nonetheless, even though their cultures and ideologies can clash at times and feel contradictory, this young generation can still manage to respond and function in both cultures, but to varying degrees.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2019.292
Recommended Citation
Salazar, Janela Aida, "TWO CULTURES, ONE IDENTITY: BICULTURALISM OF YOUNG MEXICAN AMERICANS" (2019). Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development. 48.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cld_etds/48
Included in
Chicana/o Studies Commons, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Latin American Languages and Societies Commons, Latin American Literature Commons, Latina/o Studies Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons, Spanish Linguistics Commons
