| Social support has been shown to benefit individuals from various ethnic backgrounds. As a cultural pattern of communication, it has also been shown that effective uses of social support may vary as a result of cultural identifiers. This mixed methods study examined the quantitative relationships between ethnic identity, perceived stress, and perceived social support for European Americans, Latinos, and Middle Eastern Americans. Qualitative themes were used to examine how gender and ethnic identity contributed to the uses and perceived effectiveness of social support. Quantitative results revealed a negative relationship between perceived stress and perceived social support for individuals from all three ethnic groups. A negative relationship was discovered between ethnic identity and perceived social support for Middle Eastern Americans. Themes discussing qualities and composition of social networks, uses of social support, effects of social support, and conflict were revealed for male and female participants from all three ethnic groups. Gender differences were revealed within each ethnic group regarding the perceived effectiveness of social support and the use of implicit support. Implication of the study on theory, research, and practice in psychology are discussed. |
