The role of cultural identity clarity for self-concept clarity,self-esteem,and subjective well-being

Knowing oneself and experiencing oneself as clearly defined has been linked to positive self-esteem and psychological well-being; however,this association has been tested only at the level of personal identity. the authors propose that a clear cultural identity provides the individual with a clear prototype with which to engage the processes necessary to construct a clear personal identity and,by extension,to achieve self-esteem and well-being. for samples of undergraduate students,anglophone quebecers,francophone québécois,chinese north americans,and aboriginal canadians,cultural identity clarity was positively related to self-concept clarity,self-esteem,and markers of subjective well-being. the relationship between cultural identity clarity and both self-esteem and well-being was consistently mediated by self-concept clarity. interventions designed to clarify cultural identity might have psychological benefits for individuals facing cultural identity challenges. © 2010 by the society for personality and social psychology,inc.