Success rate among Immigrants

Success rate among Immigrants

By

Aysha Siddiqui

Walden University

Abstract

This paper explains the rationale and purpose of our research study on success rate among first and second generation immigrants. We have written a past literature review of theories that derive our hypotheses. These include Albert Bandura’s social learning theory and Piaget’s social cognitive learning theory. Our hypothesis is that a relation exists between the success experienced by an individual and his or her origin of family. In the end we list down the spheres of social life that can benefit from our research study. This paper also includes our rationale for using the survey research methods and how they are the right choice for this study.

Success rate among immigrants and their children

‘Finding a home away from home’ is what defines the phenomenon of an immigrant (Hernandez, 2014). An immigrant is defined as a person who leaves his country of birth and moves to another country to make it their new home. Today, first and second generation immigrants are 24% of the total US population (Perkins,Wiley & Deaux, 2014) and the influx of immigrants in other parts of the world is also at a rise. This justifies recent increase in research on immigrant populations in range of corporate settings, human resource, educational and health reforms. From a psychological point of view first and second generation immigrants have a mind set, self image and perception of their surroundings that is unique to this population (Perkins,Wiley & Deaux, 2014).

Unique Psychological Aspects of Immigrants

Adolescence, childhood, young adult and adult: at all ages, immigrants and children of immigrant parents have a unique and specific image of their surroundings (Rumbaut, 1994). Adolescents are observed to struggle with identity, acculturation and peer pressure (Mann, 2004). Brilliant (2000) reports that cultural variations affect the academic and social performance of immigrant students in colleges around the United States. Growing up in a cross cultural home is a unique experience as well that can direct life experiences of second generation immigrants.

Self image, public and private regard, motivation are all factors that can affect an individual’s sense of success in life (Seibert & Kraimer, 2001). This research study aims at understanding if there is a relation between the unique psychological aspects that only immigrants (first and second generation) face and the success in life.

                                                Problem Statement

Research shows that life experiences and perceptions of immigrants, their children are unique and unlike their peers. Are these experiences exceptional and influential to the extent that they can determine the level of success an individual experiences? What is the extent of influence of an individual’s origin, his or her social identity as an immigrant on his life? Our research study aims at collecting date from a specified population of first and second generation immigrants to understand if a relation exists. We question that do immigrants experience higher or lower success because of their origin and condition of being an immigrant.

Theoretical Rationale

For a substantial amount of time diversity consideration has been integral to any economic or industrial human resource reform (Portes & Sensenbrenner, 1993). Life experiences of individuals as immigrants are an outcome of a social interaction. It is the social perspective that gives rise to the concept of immigrants: being a foreigner and unique from a social point of view.

Testable theory related to any research study on immigration and its effects can be taken as parallel to life span development. Our research study is an assessment of an individual’s life span development in light of socio-cultural influences. Further, we aim at understanding the effects of these cultural and social factors on an individual’s ability to succeed in life.

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory

Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, who changed the way we understand the development of children’s mind believed in ‘assimilation and accommodation’ (Santrock, 1995). Most of Piaget’s work is on children’s psychological development and how the social aspect interacts to develop a person psychologically. According to Piaget (2013), ‘a universe without objects is a self without knowledge’ and each stage of a child’s development is aimed at understanding the world around.  Piaget (1964 ) also highlights that to know an object we have to understand it’s transformation that takes place. This is a process of operation and this is the ‘essence of knowledge’.

Piaget (Piaget & Inhelder, 2013) reports that intelligent behavior is connected to growth continuum and intelligence has been connected to success (Canterucci, 2005).

 Youniss & Damon (1994) write about the post World War Era when social scientists were involved to develop programs that encourage citizens to accept diversity. In that era Piaget proposes that the modern era social occurrences take place at a new level from what mankind has seen in the past. Piaget further adds that ‘all events in the modern world are international. What happens in one part of the world affects another part and this thing works like a sphere’.   

Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory

Bandura’s social theory emphasizes that cognitive processes are crucial moderators in between behavior and environment. Bandura believes that people ‘cognitively observe’ others behaviors and then sometimes adopt these behaviors themselves. He belongs to the group of behaviorists who believe that development is highlight influenced by behaviors of others and the environment (Santrock, 1995).

According to Bandura (1994) ‘self-efficacy’ is a person’s belief in his ability to influence events that affect his life. This belief is the core of motivation, performance, accomplishments and emotional well being. Bandura adds that unless this belief is present in a person he or she will not take up any activities in life that give challenge. This aspect of Bandura’s theory derives our dependant variable, success. Another angle of Bandura’s social learning theory is that learning happens through direct experience and by observation of others (Bandura, 1977).

Hypothesis

H0: There is no relation between success and being raised in a cross cultural home by       immigrant parents.

H1: There is a relation between success achieved by an individual and being raised in a cross cultural environment by immigrant parents

H2: The success achieved by an individual who is raised in a cross culture by immigrant parents is not as high as their peers raised in their country of origin.

Rationale for Use of Survey Research Methods Design

Rumbaut (1994) used a multivariate analysis to understand the ethnic identity among eighth and ninth graders in Miami and San Diego. The study used a survey research method to collect data from 5,000 children raised by immigrant parents. In our research study we are not aiming to look at the affect of a specific condition, but aim to understand if a relationship exists. According to Creswell (2009) survey research provides a ‘numeric description’ of trends and attitudes. Keeping this definition in account, we consider the survey research method for our study.

We are trying to establish a relationship that we hypothesize exists and that’s possible by collecting data from cases that already exist.

Utility Statement

There is no denial that globalization and diversity is the trend of the day. Results from our research study can benefit not just one phase of life, but almost every aspect of our surroundings. After review of past literature, the following areas can benefit from our research study:

• Jackson & Ruderman (1995) argue that it is imperative that organizations and corporate structures adjust to the growing diversity in each sector. They insist on the importance of the dynamics, the assets and liabilities that come out of the diverse treasures in any organization. From information technology (IT), financial management to entertainment, education, art: immigrants have become an integral part of any sector.
• Health care and the immigrant population is a very important area that can benefit from our study. Hu et al (1996) report on the emerging diversity in population suffering from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Their study shows that the growing diversity among the population suffering from HIV is understood to a minimal level. The studies conducted are limited and further research can be very beneficial.
• Due to legal and immigration laws, health insurance is not as easily accessible to immigrants as to others. Ku & Matani (2001) report that health insurance is very limited to immigrants and their children. Among other reasons, there are also language, cultural beliefs and religious restrictions. Emergency care is also not as easily accessible to this population as to others. Our research study would be able to contribute to this kind of social change as well.
• Last but not the least: education and child development is a field today that can most benefit from any research on immigrants and diversity. Today, the number of immigrant children or children whose parents were immigrants is higher than before (Rumbaut & Portes, 2001) and researchers say we are seeing a ‘new America’ today. Our research study can be a basis for any kind of intervention, program designed for school aged or teenage children.  

   References

Bandura, A. (1994). Self‐efficacy. John Wiley & Sons, Inc..

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory.

Brilliant, J. J. (2000). Issues in counseling immigrant college students.Community College Journal of Research & Practice, 24(7), 577-586.

Canterucci, J. (2005). Personal Brilliance: Mastering the Everyday Habits that Create a    Lifetime of Success. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn.

Hernandez, E. (2014). Finding a Home away from Home Effects of Immigrants on Firms’ Foreign Location Choice and Performance. Administrative Science Quarterly, 59(1), 73-108.

Hu, D. J., Dondero, T. J., Rayfield, M. A., George, J. R., Schochetman, G., Jaffe, H. W. & Curran, J. W. (1996). The emerging genetic diversity of HIV: the importance of global surveillance for diagnostics, research, and prevention.Jama, 275(3), 210-216.

Jackson, S. E., & Ruderman, M. N. (1995). Diversity in work teams: Research paradigms for a changing workplace. American Psychological Association.

Ku, L., & Matani, S. (2001). Left out: immigrants’ access to health care and insurance. Health Affairs, 20(1), 247-256.

Mann, M. A. (2004). Immigrant parents and their emigrant adolescents: The tension of inner and outer worlds. The American journal of psychoanalysis,64(2), 143-153.

Perkins, K., Wiley, S., & Deaux, K. (2014). Through which looking glass? Distinct sources of public regard and self-esteem among first-and second-generation immigrants of color. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 20(2), 213.

Piaget, J. (1964). Part I: Cognitive development in children: Piaget development and learning. Journal of research in science teaching, 2(3), 176-186.

Piaget, J. (2013). The construction of reality in the child (Vol. 82). Routledge.

Piaget, J., & Inhelder, B. (2013). The growth of logical thinking from childhood to adolescence: An essay on the construction of formal operational structures(Vol. 84). Routledge.

Portes, A., & Sensenbrenner, J. (1993). Embeddedness and immigration: Notes on the social determinants of economic action. American journal of sociology, 1320-1350.

Rumbaut, R. G. (1994). The crucible within: Ethnic identity, self-esteem, and segmented assimilation among children of immigrants. International Migration Review, 748-794.

Rumbaut, R. G., & Portes, A. (Eds.). (2001). Ethnicities: Children of immigrants in America. Univ of California Press.

Seibert, S. E., & Kraimer, M. L. (2001). The five-factor model of personality and career success. Journal of vocational behavior, 58(1), 1-21.

Youniss, J., & Damon, W. (1994). Social construction and Piaget’s theory.Moral development, 5, 407-426.