Cultural mismatch and the education of Aboriginal youths: the interplay of cultural identities and teacher ratings.

In response to the enduring "deficit" approach to the educational attainment of Aboriginal students in North America, we hypothesized that academic underperformance is related to a cultural mismatch between Aboriginal students' cultural background, which emphasizes connectedness and interdependence, and the mainstream White model of education, which focuses on independence and assertiveness. The participants included virtually all the secondary students (N = 115) in the Naskapi community of Kawawachikamach, Quebec, Canada. We obtained self-reports of identification with Aboriginal and White culture, teacher reports of assertiveness, and official grades.

Reduced ratings of physical and relational aggression for youths with a strong cultural identity: evidence from the Naskapi people.

Purpose: Minority youth in general, and Aboriginal youth in particular, are at increased statistical risk for being perpetrators or victims of aggression.

Methods: We examined the potential protective aspect of cultural identity in relation to peer ratings of physical and relational aggression and factors typically associated with each among almost the entire cohort of Naskapi youths from Kawawachikamach, Québec.

Results: Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that a strong identity with their own Native culture predicted less perceived physical and social aggression by their peers.