Young adults who belong to bicultural or diaspora communities may face challenges integrating conflicting cultural expectations related to gender roles, family values, social norms, and personal identity. These conflicts can arise due to differences in upbringing, education, language, religion, nationality, race, socioeconomic status, and other factors.
Young women from Muslim families raised in Western countries may feel pressure to adhere to traditional gender roles while pursuing higher education and careers. Young men from Asian families living abroad may struggle to balance their parents' emphasis on hard work and achievement with Western attitudes towards leisure and self-fulfillment. This article will explore how individuals navigate these contradictions through various strategies such as negotiation, compromise, adaptation, assimilation, rejection, and hybridization.
1. Negotiation: Individuals from bicultural or diaspora backgrounds can negotiate between competing cultural demands by prioritizing certain aspects of each culture over others, balancing them, or finding creative solutions that satisfy both sides.
A woman may choose to maintain her religious observance but also pursue a career path that aligns with her interests and abilities. A man may decide to prioritize his family's traditions while still participating in extracurricular activities that fulfill him personally. By finding common ground and communicating effectively, individuals can create a unique blend of cultures that works for them.
2. Compromise: Sometimes, individuals must make sacrifices or tradeoffs to accommodate the conflicting demands of different cultures. They might prioritize one set of values over another or accept that some elements of their identity will be less prominent than others.
A person may give up their home language to focus more on learning English or prioritize professional success over family obligations.
This approach may lead to feelings of guilt or loss of connection to important aspects of oneself.
3. Adaptation: Some individuals embrace both cultural identities without trying to reconcile them, changing their behavior and beliefs to fit into either group.
An Asian-American woman may adopt Western dress styles while preserving traditional Chinese food preferences at home. This strategy can help young adults feel comfortable in multiple contexts, but it may require constant effort to maintain both identities and can lead to confusion or identity crisis.
4. Assimilation: Individuals may assimilate fully into one culture, abandoning all aspects of the other. This approach may provide stability and belonging, but it may also erase important parts of oneself, leading to alienation from family or community. It is often seen as a coping mechanism for difficult situations where the individual feels unable to navigate between two worlds.
5. Rejection: Young adults may reject one culture entirely, choosing to identify solely with the other. This response may arise due to feeling marginalized by a dominant culture or experiencing significant trauma related to their background. It can provide a sense of empowerment and liberation, but it can also create tension with family members who hold different views and limit future opportunities for intercultural communication and understanding.
6. Hybridization:
Some individuals may integrate elements of both cultures into a new, unique identity that reflects their lived experience. They may incorporate language, music, food, clothing, and other elements from both backgrounds, creating a cohesive whole that acknowledges the complexity of their situation. This approach requires creativity and self-awareness, allowing individuals to develop a personal sense of authenticity and meaning within their communities.
Navigating conflicting cultural expectations can be challenging for young adults from bicultural or diaspora backgrounds. By exploring these strategies and finding what works best for them, they can build a strong foundation for their identities while maintaining connections to their families and heritage.
How do young adults integrate contradictory cultural expectations when belonging to bicultural or diaspora communities?
Integrating contradictory cultural expectations can be challenging for many young adults who belong to bicultural or diaspora communities. This challenge is especially significant when they are exposed to two different sets of beliefs, values, customs, and traditions that may conflict with each other. While some young adults may have grown up surrounded by different cultures, others might feel like they don't fit into either culture perfectly.