Dimensions of Ethnic Identity: An Example from Northern Maine

Summary A multidimensional scaling procedure was used to explore the role played by cultural background, language, and geographic region in the process of ethnic identity among residents of a mixed ethnic community in Northern Maine. Nineteen Anglo-American and 48 Franco-American male and female high school students were asked to make similarity judgments among various stimulus labels, eight of which differed in terms of culture (Anglo/Franco), language (French/English), and region (Northern Maine/Southern Maine). The stimulus labels MYSELF and MY PARENTS were used as reference points. The results demonstrated that language was the prime dimension of ethnic identity for both Anglo-Americans and those Franco-Americans with a high proficiency in French. For Franco-Americans without French proficiency, cultural background was the salient dimension.