COMPARISON OF ETHNIC MINORITY AND NATIVE MAJORITY YOUTH IN THEIR PERCEPTION OF SUCCESS IN LIFE

Abstract

This study investigated ethnic similarities and differences in the perception of success in life among Belgian adolescents. A specifically developed scale (Perception of Success in Life scale) was administered to 1726 participants. Respondents rated the importance of 20 success-items. The dichotomy individualism-collectivism was employed to better understand differences between both groups. According to this dimension Muslim ethnic minority youth has a rather collectivistic background, whereas the culture of majority youth is typically Western individualistic. As expected ethnic minority youth valued a more traditional (collectivistic) perspective of success, in which family life plays a central role, combined with self direction (individualistic), whereas majority adolescents specifically favour perceptions related to autonomy (self direction)