Research project Perceived ethnic discrimination during adolescence contributes to poorer development outcomes and impairs well-being. However, not much is known yet about whether individuals’ perceptions of ethnic discrimination change from early to late adolescence (i.e., stable or changing), how and when they change over adolescence (e.g., linear increase, U-shaped curve) and why they change at different rates.
This study is the first to identify varying longitudinal profiles of perceived racial discrimination among Swedish ethnic minority youth and further examine how such longitudinal variations within groups are predictive of negative adjustment outcomes. This project will also explore the ways in which Swedish ethnic minority youth experience and perceive racial discrimination in a diverse context. This study will provide great insights into racial discrimination experiences among ethnic minority youth and their antecedents and consequences over time and across contexts.
The quantitative part of the project aims to (a) identify qualitatively distinct trajectory classes of perceived racial discrimination in Swedish ethnic minority youth over time, (b) identify sociodemographic factors (i.e., gender, family SES, generational status, ethnicity, and age) associated with longitudinal trajectories of perceived racial discrimination, and (c) examine how these distinct developmental profiles of perceived racial discrimination are associated with adjustment outcomes such as depressive symptoms, self-esteem, social anxiety, and aggressive behaviors, using longitudinal data on 2 cohorts (i.e., grades 7 and 10 at Wave 1) collected at 5 time points over a 3-year period.
The qualitative part of the project aims to (a) explore how Swedish ethnic minority youth experience subtle, direct, covert, or overt forms of racial discrimination in a wide range of contexts and settings (e.g., store, school, restaurant), (b) understand how each form, in turn, contributes to their adjustment, and (c) understand what coping skills and protective factors they have in an effort to reduce stress caused by racism and discrimination. To this end, face-to-face in-depth interviews will be conducted. This study will provide great insights into racial discrimination experiences among ethnic minority youth and their antecedents and consequences over time and across contexts.
