Cultural identity in the context of migration – The case of Portuguese first generation immigrants in Luxembourg and their second generation children

Scientific Conference (2021, June)

While first generation immigrants carry a cultural heritage to their receiving country, their children are confronted with different cultural influences during their formative years. How does this so ... [more ▼]

While first generation immigrants carry a cultural heritage to their receiving country, their children are confronted with different cultural influences during their formative years. How does this so-called second-generation experience their cultural identities compared to their parents? To tackle this question, the present study focused on first- and second-generation Portuguese migrants living in Luxembourg. The sample comprises n = 72 PT young adult children (mean age M = 28.2, SD = 7.9; 61.1% female) who participated in the FNR-funded IRMA-project together with their parents (n = 70 PT mothers and n = 65 PT fathers). An adapted version of the bicultural identity orientation scale was employed to assess three dimensions of bicultural identity - compatible, conflicted and frame-switching. We examined patterns of identity constructions of first and second generation by use of cluster analysis, resulting in four profiles: blended, alternating, separated and ambivalent biculturals. Whereas second generation young adults were represented in each typology, parents were mostly found in the alternating or separated clusters. Clusters of parents and their children will be compared and factors contributing to parent-child congruence/incongruence identified. Results will be discussed considering regulatory processes of subjective well-being and different migration experiences in light of generation and age. [less ▲]

Cultural Psychological Re-Formulation of Ego-Defence into Ego-Construction

Doctoral thesis (2020)

The developing self is a complex concept that recurrently occupies a variety of academic disciplines, and that is yet to be clarified from a holistically, transdisciplinary standpoint. For instance ... [more ▼]

The developing self is a complex concept that recurrently occupies a variety of academic disciplines, and that is yet to be clarified from a holistically, transdisciplinary standpoint. For instance, psychoanalytical theories offer detailed insight into the intraindividual psycho-dynamics of personal development. Cultural psychological theories, on the other hand, stress a culture’s influence on a person’s day-to-day development and advance a detailed account of semiotic, i.e., culturally mediated, sign construction that underlies psychological process-es and results from it at the same time. Importantly, and what a cultural psychological standpoint therefore offers, is a view on culture that withdraws from conceiving it as an own entity (e.g., cannot be calculated as an external factor), but views it as deeply entangled with the formation of personality development. Both theory strands thus each complexly address ‘sides of the same coin’, namely the phenomenon of the developing self, but have not yet been systematically linked with each other from a holistic perspective. Therefore, this thesis addresses the question, how an integrative perspective of psychoanalytical psychodynamics can be synthesized with cultural psychological metatheory on development. More precisely, I theoretically explore how psychoanalytical theories of ego defence mechanisms help furthering an analysis of ego construction. By using the concept of ego construction, I argue that cultural psychological construction processes that are entangled with people’s engagement with their culturally laden environments can further elaborate psychoanalytical theories on ego defence. To approach ego defence, this project departs from Freudian psychoanalytic theory. It draws on the differentiation between needs and wishes that leads to an inner tension where defence mechanisms help in understanding the tension upon delayed gratification. Pushing beyond this traditional perspective and by assuming a high entanglement of needs and wishes, the defence needs to be recognized as an ongoing process, conceptualized as a continuous and recurring process rather than as mechanisms. It is a central conclusion of this Ph.D. project that, therefore, concepts of defence must leave their descriptive level to overcome the problem of cause and effect, allowing an understanding of development as open psychodynamic and cultural system. [less ▲]

Cultural psychology of transgenerational family relations: Investigating ambivalences

Book published by IAP (2018)

The present volume deals with the experience of ambivalence in family relations - a well-known phenomenon that has inspired more and more research and theorizing in the last years but that is however ... [more ▼]

The present volume deals with the experience of ambivalence in family relations - a well-known phenomenon that has inspired more and more research and theorizing in the last years but that is however sometimes difficult to capture. Bringing together junior and senior researchers from different parts of the world, ideas on theory and research are elaborated following qualitative and quantitative approaches. This book thus contributes to theory-building as well as outlining research results and helping to develop measurement in interpersonal and intergenerational relations. [less ▲]

Cultural representation in Luxembourgish street naming practices

in Linguistics Vanguard (2021), 7(s5), 111

The Cultural Transmission of Environmental Preferences: Evidence from International Migration

Scientific Conference (2014, July 15)

This paper investigates both theoretically and empirically the hypothesis that individual environmental attitudes can be partly accounted for by a cultural component. To empirically identify this ... [more ▼]

This paper investigates both theoretically and empirically the hypothesis that individual environmental attitudes can be partly accounted for by a cultural component. To empirically identify this component, we exploit variation associated with international migration flows. We find that the environmental attitudes of migrants, while being resilient to environmental conditions, also embed a cultural component, which persists till the second generation migrants. Our results suggest that, in the presence of multiple environmental problems that require collective action, comprehending the driving forces behind the formation of an environmental culture is critical to design effective policies. [less ▲]

The cultural transmission of Environmental preferences: Evidence from International Migration

E-print/Working paper (2014)

La culture à la télévision

Presentation (2018, March)

Culture as Intercultural Challenge

Presentation (2014, June 05)

La Culture et la Cité au début du XXe siècle

in Acta Fabula: Revue des Parutions en Théorie Littéraire (2014), 15(7),

La culture, c'est quoi?

Article for general public (2016)

https://www.forum.lu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/364_Edito.pdf