E. J. R. David

Colonial mentality: A review and recommendation for Filipino American psychology

Colonial mentality is a term used widely by ethnic studies scholars and by the Filipino American community to refer to a form of internalized oppression among Filipinos and Filipino Americans. The authors propose that colonial mentality is a construct that is central to the understanding of the psychology of contemporary Filipino Americans. Drawing on larger scholarship from postcolonial studies and psychological research on oppression, the authors review the historical and sociological contexts in which to understand the significance of the colonial mentality concept for the Filipino American population. The authors also review the existing literature on colonial mentality and provide specific recommendations for incorporating this construct into research and practice with Filipino Americans. It is argued, through this illustrative example of colonial mentality among Filipino Americans, that examining the psychological impact of colonialism is a way to incorporate larger historical and sociological contextual variables into ethnic minority research and practice.

The Colonial Mentality Scale (CMS) for Filipino Americans: Scale Construction and Psychological Implications

Colonial mentality, or internalized colonialism, has been discussed by scholars and by Filipino American community members as a significant factor in the experiences of contemporary Filipino Americans, yet this construct has not received empirical attention in psychology. The authors of the current study addressed this gap in the Asian American psychological literature by developing the Colonial Mentality Scale for Filipino Americans, a theoretically derived and psychometrically tested multidimensional measure of colonial mentality. Exploratory (n = 292) and confirmatory (n = 311) factor analyses on Internet-obtained data suggest that colonial mentality among Filipino Americans is best conceptualized and measured as composed of 5 related factors, each of which represents unique manifestations of the construct. Results also suggest that colonial mentality is associated with the psychological well-being and mental health of modern day Filipino Americans. Research and clinical implications are discussed.

Messages about sex in the workplace: A content analysis of primetime television

Because television has the potential to shape cultural beliefs about both sexual norms and appropriate workplace behavior, it seems important to examine TV’s portrayal of “sexual etiquette” in the workplace. In a content analysis of two episodes of every primetime comedy aired on all broadcast and cable networks during fall 2000, we coded every sexual remark and behavior made in a workplace scene. Across all networks, 85 percent of programs and one in four workplace interactions contained some type of sexual content. Overall, a viewer is likely to hear eleven sexual remarks and see two to three sexual behaviors in a workplace setting per hour; this jumps to twenty-three remarks and nine behaviors on cable networks. Sexual remarks were mostly explicit, made in an office setting, by White men, and were rarely (1.4%) about sexual harassment or discrimination. Although sexual content in the workplace was generally less common on broadcast than cable networks, a broadcast network (Fox) actually had the highest overall rate, with sexual content in 38 percent of workplace scenes. Given that research suggests that TV teaches youth about sexuality and cultivates sexual attitudes and beliefs consistent with televised portrayals, it is alarming that youth may learn from television that sex in the workplace is not only commonplace, but also to be tolerated and enjoyed.

Mental health risk factors associated with childhood language brokering

Serving as a language translator (broker) for family members during childhood can affect cognitive and emotional functions in both beneficial and detrimental ways. Child language brokers translate in a variety of contexts including conversations between their parents and financial, legal and medical professionals. Pressure to be involved in these activities may negatively affect mental health by placing undue stress on child language brokers, while also distracting them from other responsibilities such as school. In this study, the relationship between language brokering during childhood and adolescence and the mental health of bilingual young adults was examined. Overall, language brokers had higher levels of depression. Young adults who previously served as language brokers, particularly during their preadolescent years, had higher levels of anxiety than their bilingual non-brokering counterparts. It is important for parents, educators and mental health professionals to become more aware of the mental health consequences that may arise from language brokering duties, particularly how symptoms vary depending on whether brokering began in childhood or adolescence.