Is biculturalism a resource or hindrance for minority school achievement? A multi-method approach

In light of debates over multiculturalism and evidence of minority disadvantage, we examine when biculturalism (identifying with both minority and majority cultures) promotes minority school achievement. Asking how biculturalism meshes with the prevailing multicultural climate, Study 1 tests when bicultural identity helps or hinders minority performance across schools and societies with different diversity attitudes (CILS4EU in Sweden, UK, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany). Biculturalism should support school performance only in contexts sympathetic to multiculturalism (like Sweden); and hamper performance in antithetical contexts (like Germany). Extending a social identity approach to biculturalism, Study 2 longitudinally tests identity (dis)valuation as the underlying process that accounts for differential biculturalism – achievement associations between schools with different diversity climates in Belgium. Modifying stereotype threat and self-affirmation paradigms, Study 3 proposes field experiments which (a) replicate differential effects of experimentally induced identity threat on minority performance as a function of identity valuation in Belgian schools; and (b) test different identity valuation interventions in Belgian and British schools: Teachers give either self- or culture-affirmation exercises, where (c) either minority or majority or both cultures are affirmed. Students who affirmed their (bi)cultural values should perform better over 3 months.