Abstracts Category : Other

Self-Concept And Psychosocial Identity Of First Year Predominately Underrepresented Multicultural Students Involved In The UMN TC Cultural Centers: A Mixed Methods Approach

by Freitas Robertod de

ABSTRACT SELF-CONCEPT AND PSYCHOSOCIAL IDENTITY OF FIRST YEAR PREDOMINATELY UNDERREPRESENTED MULTICULTURAL STUDENTS INVOLVED IN THE UMN TC CULTURAL CENTERS: A MIXED METHODS APPROACH This mixed methods study examines the self-esteem measures, self-appraisal development in self-concept, and psychosocial identity, retrospectively of First Year Undergraduates (FYU), predominantly underrepresented multicultural students (PURMS), involved in the Multicultural student centers (MCC), at University of Minnesota Twin Cities (UMNTC) campus. Additionally, the PURMS, self-appraisal narrative of their experiences with the MCC is evaluated for relationships to the UMNTC learning and development outcomes, involvement, and identity theory. The 70 participants self- esteem was measured using the Rosenberg, Self-Esteem scale (RSE). Additionally, embedded at the end of the questionnaire were three qualitative open box questions to understand how participants adjusted psychologically relative to academic competence, establishing identity, and interpersonal relationships. Difference in self-esteem between students in the various Multicultural student centers after a semester association in the respective programs was also explored. In the century since William James (1890) first referred to self-esteem as an elementary endowment of human nature, many classic theories of personality have addressed the importance of self-esteem needs, many emotional and behavioral challenges are attributed to unfulfilled needs for self-esteem. In addition, to the considerable focus on the individuals feeling about herself or himself. There are studies that suggest the self-esteem functions as a sociometer that monitors the degree to which the individual is being included as opposed to excluded by other people and that motivates the self-preservation mechanism to behave in ways that minimize the probability of rejection or exclusion (Leary, 1995). The First Year Experience(FYE) in college for 18 to 19 year emerging adults is a dramatic change, and because of such changes these first year college students perception of the global community is altered. It is well documented that there are emotional intelligence challenges during this first year experience (Goleman, 1994). This studys focus is on a self-esteem assessment of PURMS first year experience at the UMNTC involved with Multicultural programs. Although these findings may serve as a catalyst on some campuses for rethinking the first college year experience, the survey instruments themselves were not designed to diagnose problems or prescribe ultimate solutions. Rather, findings represent a description of the first year as it exists at the UMNTC, a land grant institution, in the second decade of the 21st century. Its been suggested that learners need do well in formal educational settings to project positive self-esteem or self-concept (Friedlander, 2007). A contrasting position is that a positive self-esteem is a prerequisite for high performance in formal educational settings. There is