Peer cultural socialisation: a resource for minority students’ cultural identity, life satisfaction, and school values

This study investigated how peers can contribute to cultural minority students’cultural identity, life satisfaction,and school values (school importance, utility, and intrinsicvalues) by talking about cultural values, beliefs, and beha-viours associated with heritage and mainstream culture(peer cultural socialisation). We further distinguishedbetween heritage and mainstream identity as two separatedimensions of cultural identity. Analyses were based onself-reports of 662 students of thefirst, second, and thirdmigrant generation in Germany (Mean age = 14.75 years,51% female). Path analyses revealed that talking aboutheritage culture with friends was positively related to heri-tage identity. Talking about mainstream culture withfriends was negatively associated with heritage identity,but positively with mainstream identity as well as schoolvalues. Both dimensions of cultural identity related tohigher life satisfaction and more positive school values.As expected, heritage and mainstream identity mediatedthe link between peer cultural socialisation and adjustmentoutcomes. Findings highlight the potential of peers associalisation agents to help promote cultural belongingas well as positive adjustment of cultural minority youthin the school context.

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