Ethnic Identity: Comparing Ethnic Groups in Terms of their Well Being and Sense of Belonging

Abstract

India is a culturally diverse country inherent with various ethnic groups. The objective of our study is to identity whether psychological well being and sense of belonging can predict ethnic identity in different ethnic groups. Previous researchers have found that for minority groups ethnic identity is more salient and is associated with positive outcomes when compared to majority groups. The ethnic groups we examined using a comparative design were Indo Aryans and Dravidians. Using Regression Analysis, we found that psychological well being and sense of belonging did not significantly predict ethnic identity in either of the groups. This can be attributed to the processes of globalization, urbanization, and acculturation which have made ethnic identity-based segregation redundant. Since ethnicity has not been very frequently researched by psychologists in India, our research adds to the existing pool of research.