Dimensions of Ethnic Identity: An Example from Quebec

Summary A multidimensional scaling procedure was used to explore the role of cultural background, language and geographic region in the process of ethnic identity. French and English Canadian high school students living in Quebec made similarity judgments among all possible combinations of these three factors and the anchor stimulus MYSELF. The results demonstrated that language and cultural background are two important dimensions of ethnic identity, but that geographic region is not as important as might be expected. Furthermore, English Canadian Ss perceived themselves as very distant from stimulus labels that were inconsistent with respect to cultural background and language, whereas French Canadian Ss only reacted this way to stimulus labels involving French Canadians who spoke English mainly.