The key to supporting multicultural youth is 'supportive' schools and communities

The key to supporting multicultural youth is "supportive" schools and communities: 2022.10.18 16:46 涝仿

Hyejeong Oh (Assistant Pr info@asianhub.kr

<div align="" style=""> <table _id="news_image" border="0" cellpaddin="0" cellspacing="0" align="center" style="border:1px solid #d2d2d2;margin-top:15px;margin-bottom:15px;"><tbody><tr><td><div style="margin:8px"><img src="http://asiantimes.kr/PEG/16660791806513.jpg" width="400" align="absmiddle"></div></td></tr></tbody></table>  </div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 窃檬芬官帕; letter-spacing: 0pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-size: 11pt;">A few years ago, I studied the structural relationship between cultural adaptation, school life, psychology/emotions, and social support of multicultural adolescents. Previous studies related to multicultural youth have reported that multicultural youth are more likely to experience cultural conflict and stress, identity confusion, difficulties in learning and school adjustment, peer relationship problems, even school violence and bullying, and psychological and emotional difficulties. Therefore, I tried to examine the relationship between multicultural adolescents' cultural adaptation (national identity, acculturation stress, dual culture acceptance attitude, multicultural acceptance) and school life (learning activities, friend relationship, and teacher relationship) where how psychology/emotions (self-esteem, life satisfaction, depression, and social withdrawal) and social support (family support, friend support, and teacher support) work.   <o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 窃檬芬官帕; letter-spacing: 0pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-size: 11pt;">To this end, I analyzed the responses of 1,245 adolescents who are in their third year of middle school and who have a Korean father and a foreign mother, which are materials from the 6th year of the "Multicultural Youth Panel Survey" by the National Youth Policy Institute. The results of this study generally support the previous studies. It was found that the more positive the acculturation is, the more positive the school life is; and the more positive the acculturation is, the more positive the school life is because of high social support recognized by surroundings such family, friends, and teachers. The results are consistent with the previous studies that have shown that multicultural adolescents have difficulties in learning and school life due to cultural conflict, stress, and identity confusion, and the previous studies that have shown difficulties in cultural adaptation and stress cause difficulties in social relationships and sometimes lead to disconnection, exclusion, and isolation.   <o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 窃檬芬官帕; letter-spacing: 0pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-size: 11pt;">On the other hand, it was found that cultural adaptation of multicultural adolescents did not affect their psychology and emotions. Therefore, it was found that the psychological and emotional effects of multicultural adolescents did not mediate the effects of cultural adaptation on school life. It was only through social support that multicultural adolescents' acculturation had an effect on their psychology and emotions. In other words, the acculturation of multicultural adolescents itself does not directly affect their psychology and emotions, but the more positive the acculturation is, the higher the perceived social support is, getting them to have more positive psychology and emotions. Although the result is contrary to many previous studies, it is in line with the recent research trend that rejects the frame of "multiculturalism-non-multiculturalism." In other words, they do not experience psychological and emotional difficulties because they are "multicultural" youth having the "cultural factors," but suffer psychological and emotional difficulties and also difficulties in school life due to the "lack of support" of family, friends, and teachers surrounding the multicultural youth.   <o:p></o:p>The results of this study suggest that the core of support for multicultural youth lies in "building a supportive school and community," not the cultural adaptation of multicultural youth. To this end, it is necessary to enhance the multicultural sensitivity and acceptability of all school members including youth, teachers, and parents, and local residents. In the case of major service providers such as teachers, social workers, and counselors, it is also necessary to develop professional competencies such as guidance, counseling, and education for multicultural youth. It is also requested to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with related institutions such as schools, educational welfare centers, and family centers in the local community, and establish an integrated support system through them. According to education statistics, as of 2021, the number of multicultural students enrolled in elementary, middle and high schools, and other various schools is 160,058, which is double the number in 2015 (82,536). The proportion of multicultural students among all students more than doubled from 1.4% in 2015 to 3.0% in 2021. It is necessary to urgently create an environment in which “all of us” support and are supported by each other without distinguishing multicultural youth as “they.”

Hyejeong Oh (Assistant Pr狼促弗扁荤焊扁

傈眉焊扁

臂肺国春胶

沥氓

荤雀

扁裙

拿烦

牢拱

扼捞橇

脚埃家俺

器配春胶

悼康惑

碱俏隔

付捞其捞瘤

绊按季磐