Poster #170 - Ethnic Minority Immigrant Children’s Subjective Social Status in Middle Childhood

• In Event: 1-005 - Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Section - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Integrative Statement

Children’s perceptions of their subjective social status (SSS) may become particularly salient during middle childhood, a developmental period in which children become increasingly aware of stereotypes, social identity, and group affiliation (Akiba, Szalacha, & García Coll, 2004). Previous research with adolescent populations has highlighted age-related, developmental changes in perceptions of social status (Goodman, Huang, Schafer-Kalkhoff, & Adler, 2007), and suggests that perceived social status may be an independent, and sometimes stronger predictor of health and well-being than objective measures of socioeconomic status (SES) (McLaughlin, Costello, Leblanc, Sampson, & Kessler, 2012). Though these effects of SSS on socioemotional well-being in adolescence have been well-documented, we do not know whether SSS is also associated with socioemotional well-being earlier in development, when these notions of status are just beginning to form.
SSS may be especially pertinent to the socioemotional well-being of ethnic minority children from immigrant families. Changes in financial standing over the course of immigration, exposure to racial or ethnic discrimination, or family aspirations toward educational or professional advancement, can each be salient experiences in the context of the immigrant family. However, to our knowledge, no research has examined its effects specifically within this population. The present study had two aims: (1) to identify how assessment of SSS in ethnic minority immigrant children changes over the course of middle childhood; and (2) to test unique associations of SSS with children’s socioemotional well-being.
As part of a larger research study on Chinese American immigrant families, 161 Chinese American children (7-11 years old; M = 9.06 years; 48.3 % girls) estimated their SSS, provided indicators of their SSS, and completed measures of social loneliness. Parents provided estimates of family SES and completed a measure of children’s internalizing problems.
Results from hierarchical linear regressions indicated that higher SSS was associated with lower child-reported social loneliness (Table 1), controlling for child age and family SES. Neither SSS nor parent-reported measures of SES were associated with parent-reported internalizing problems. Indicators of SSS were coded for a subsample of 109 children. Purchasing power was the most commonly referenced indicator of SSS, followed by references to sources of income, wealth and assets (Figure 1). Logistic regressions indicated that increasing age predicted significantly more references to educational factors, χ2(1) = 5.33, p = .021; Nagelkerke R2 = .075; Exp (B) = 1.86; Wald = 4.90, p =.027), fewer references to psychological affect, χ2(1) = 5.03, p = .025; Nagelkerke R2 = .12; Exp (B) = .35; Wald = 4.08, p =.043), and fewer references to purchasing power, χ2(1) = 6.68, p = .010; Nagelkerke R2 = .08; Exp (B) = .55; Wald = 6.20, p =.013. Taken together, results indicate that SSS among ethnic minority children from immigrant families may be shaped by specific sociocultural experiences over the course of development and may play a critical role in their socioemotional well-being.

Authors

• Georgian Fan, Wellesley College
  Presenting Author

• Michelle M. Wang, Wellesley College
  Non-Presenting Author

• Tracy Gleason, Wellesley College
  Non-Presenting Author

• Cindy Liu, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
  Non-Presenting Author

• Leslie Wang, University of Massachusetts-Boston
  Non-Presenting Author

• Stephen H. Chen, Wellesley College
  Non-Presenting Author