IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT IN DIVERSE POPULATIONS: MATRIX OF MODELS
(Summarized from Howard-Hamilton & Frazier, 2005; Hutchison, 2003 Chapter 5)
Social Identity Theory
(Hutchison, 2003,
pp. 190-191)
(Optimal Theory Applied to
Identity Development)
(Myers et al, 1991)
Cross Model of Black Identity
Development (Parks et al, 1996;
Parham, 1989)
1. Naivete: No social consciousness;
accept socialization without
question. Begin to recognize
differences as young children.
2: Acceptance. Internalize
dominant cultural beliefs and the
beliefs of “our” group. Other
cultures viewed as different.
Phase 0: Absence of conscious
awareness. Usually associated with
infancy and lack of a sense of self.
Phase 1: Individuation. Lacks
awareness of any view of self other
than the one which they are initially
introduced
Pre-Encounter. Individual view the work
from dominant (white) frame of reference.
Characterized by white normative
standard.
3: Resistance. Becomes aware of
harmful effects of acting on social
differences. Develop broader
definition of social identity.
4: Redefinition. Creating a new
social identity that preserves pride in
our origins while perceiving
differences as positive. May isolate
from some members of our social
groups and shift towards others with
similar values.
5: Internalization. Become
comfortable with our revised
identity. Continue the ongoing
process of discovering vestiges of
old biases.
Phase 2: Dissonance. Becomes aware
of aspects of self that may be devalued
by others. May cause confusion,
conflict, isolation.
Phase 3: Immersion. Identifies
strongly with other like themselves.
May hold negative feelings toward
dominant group.
Encounter. Experiences significant
events of situations such as housing
discrimination; seeks development of
Black identity. May involve confusion.
Immersion-Emersion. Transition to a
new Black identity. Immersion and
attachment to Black culture, withdrawal
from interactions with other ethnic
groups. Tendency to glorify African
American people and denigrate whites.
Phase 4: Internalization. Internalize
a positive sense of self. Able to be
more accepting of others.
Internalization. Sense of security and
self –confidence about Black identity.
Decline in strong anti-white feelings,
although African American is the primary
reference.
Phase 5: Integration. Strong sense of
inner security. Allows sense of
community with others to emerge.
Recognizes the nature of oppression as
reflecting a worldview.
Phase 6: Transformation. Sense of
self that includes past, future,
community, interconnection.
Women’s Identity Development
(Canarton and Kreger-Silverman)
Phase 1: Bonding. Interdependence with
mother as central relationship. Enables
female children to enter early into
nurturing roles.
Phase 2 & 3: Orientation to others &
Cultural Adaptation. Caring and
connectedness to others with thin ego
boundaries. Adapts to dominant culture;
girls “lose their ‘voice’”
Phase 4: Awakening and separation
Begins to assert self in ways that may be
threatening to men (e.g., rejection of
traditional roles, putting self first).
Phase 5: Development of the Feminine.
Deeper exploration of needs and
examination of self; preparation to make
changes.
Phase 6: Empowerment. Employs
strategies to prevent being disempowered
by others. Use of strengths such as
cooperation, consensus building, and
mediation.
Phase 7: Spiritual development.
Intuitive process of self-examination in
which the younger self is put to rest.
Development of inner power.
Phase 8: Integration Becomes oriented
outward and inward at the same time.
Works to undo damage of unaware
societies and groups through teaching
and healing.
IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT IN DIVERSE POPULATIONS: MATRIX OF MODELS cont’
White Racial Identity Ego
Statuses (Carter and Jones;
Parks et al)
POC and Minority Identity
Model
Contact. Naiveté concerning people of
color; lack of awareness of whiteness
(“color blind”), racist without knowing
it.
Conformity: Actively displaying
cultural denigration and White
idealization or
Passively filtering out the
information that refutes the reality,
while maintaining the belief about
racial equality.
Disintegration. Awareness that whites Dissonance: The realization that
receive preferential treatment.
one cannot attain full advantage or
Confusion, guilt, shame about this
access in White society. White still
differential treatment.
perceive them as inferior.
Reintegration. Attempts to reduce
confusion. (e.g., denial of white
privilege, identifying whites as
superior, holds prejudicial attitudes).
Immersion/emersion: Immersion
into their own culture and construct
a new definition of their own ethnic
identity.
In immersion an individual may
distance her/him-self from White
peers & express anger towards the
dominant race/ethnicity.
In emersion she/he looks at the
strengths and weakness of their
ethnic background. This leads to a
Model of Homosexual Identity
Development (Cass, 1984)
(Identity foreclosure may occur
at any stage).
Phase 1: Identity Confusion.
Questions previous identities in
terms of sexual orientation.
Phase 2: Identity Comparison.
Accepts possibility of a homosexual
identity.
Lewis’s Model of Lesbian
Development
Phase 1: Awareness. Awareness of
being different. Feeling may be
denied or sublimated.
Phase 2: Dissonance. Conflict
between gender socialization and
attraction to women (often
adolescence/young adulthood).
Exclusively lesbian women may feel
most dissonance.
Phase 3: Identity Tolerance.
Phase 3: Relationships. Relationship
Tendency to maintain two identities: building, connecting to community,
public and private. (Coming out rare and “coming out” in various degrees
at this point).
and contexts.
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Pseudo-Independence. Questions
dominant assumptions about people of
color; gains intellectual recognition of
racism but distances (e.g., only “bad”
whites are racist)
Immersion-Emersion. Begins to
come to terms with racism
intellectually and emotionally;
question other whites about
recognizing and fighting racism;
attempts to define a personal nonracist
white identity.
Autonomy. Non-racist white identity
is achieved and integrated into
thinking, feeling, behaving; race
becomes accepted part of identity;
more capable of cross-racial
relationships; values diversity.
new cultural perspective that is
more reality based
Internalization: A person is able to
integrate fully her/his sense of
identity in their everyday lives. This
is a stage of critical consciousness.
Phase 4: Identity Acceptance.
Increased contact with LGBT
culture. Attempts to fit in both
cultures (e.g., “passing”). Selective
disclosure.
Phase 5: Identity Pride. Feelings
of pride, anger about stigmatization
of homosexuality. May involve
confrontation with heterosexuals to
gain validity and equality.
Phase 4: Stable Lesbian Identity.
Self-acceptance, development of
community of friends (possibly
“fictive family), often marked by
committed relationship.
Phase 6: Identity Synthesis.
Homosexuality integrated into
positive identity. (Tends to no
longer be hidden, homosexuality
one facet of identity).
Phase 5: Integration. Acceptance of
identity and possession of positive
self-concept. Lesbianism becomes
part of overall identity.
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