6. What’s in a Name? Motivations for Baby-Naming in Multicultural Contexts

Cila, Jorida; Lalonde, Richard N.

doi:10.21832/9781788925204-011

Cited by 7 publications

(21 citation statements)

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“…Therefore, one might find that mainstream acculturation predicts name choice in less multicultural contexts. Yet another possibility is that this lack of a relationship between mainstream identity and actual name choice mirrors some recent suggestions in the qualitative literature that point primarily to pragmatism as a key factor resulting in mainstream naming choices (Cila & Lalonde, 2020). In other words, it is possible that when ethnic minorities choose ethnic names for their children they do so in large part as a way of affirming group membership and ensuring intergenerational cultural transmission.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…One possible explanation is that in the highly diverse contexts where our participants lived (large, multicultural cities), one is likely to encounter a wide range of diverse names on a daily basis. When pressures to assimilate are low and opportunities for ethnic maintenance are strong and even encouraged, bicultural individuals might not see a direct connection between their acculturation to mainstream culture and adoption of mainstream names (Cila & Lalonde, 2020). Therefore, one might find that mainstream acculturation predicts name choice in less multicultural contexts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such considerations are apparently not lost on bicultural parents. As Cila and Lalonde's (2020) qualitative study suggests, expectations of negative consequences for ethnic names are an important motivator in mainstream naming preferences and choices. In our current studies, we offer the first quantitative examination of how perceived negative consequences for ethnic names influence naming preferences and choices from an acculturation and ethno-cultural continuity framework.…”

Section: Pragmatism In Naming Choicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given that many people spend considerable time thinking about what to name their children, and some do so even before they have a child, we believe it is important to gain an understanding of naming both retrospectively and prospectively (Cila & Lalonde, 2020). Therefore, we began our inquiry by looking at naming preferences among prospective parents from two bicultural groups: South Asian Canadians (Study 1a) and Iranian Canadians (Study 1b).…”

Section: Studies 1a and 1bmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Zahra or Zoe, Arjun or Andrew? Bicultural baby names reflect identity and pragmatic concerns.

Cila¹,

Lalonde²,

Sasaki³

et al. 2021

Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology

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Objectives: Ethnic first names are a visible product of diversity in the West, yet little is known about the psychological factors that influence naming preferences and choices among bicultural individuals. Method: Participants in Studies 1a (South Asian Canadians; N ϭ 326) and 1b (Iranian Canadians; N ϭ 126) were prospective parents who completed an online survey with measures of naming (consequences of ethnic naming, naming preferences) and psychological factors related to naming: heritage and mainstream acculturation, ethno-cultural continuity. Study 2 participants (N ϭ 211) were parents of an Indian background living in three English speaking countries (Canada, United States, UK). They completed an online survey with measures of naming (consequences of ethnic naming, names as markers of cultural identity, actual naming choices) and psychological factors: heritage and mainstream cultural identifications, ethno-cultural continuity. Results: Across all 3 studies we observed a strong preference for ethnic over mainstream names. In Studies 1a and 1b heritage acculturation and motivation for ethno-cultural continuity predicted stronger preference for ethnic names. In contrast, a preference for mainstream names was predicted by mainstream acculturation and expectations of negative consequences of ethnic names. In Study 2 choice of an ethnic name was positively related to beliefs about names as markers of ethnic identity, and negatively related to expectations of negative consequences of ethnic names. Conclusions: Baby naming among ethnic minorities is a complex cultural decision, reflecting both identity and pragmatic concerns. Implications for studies of acculturation and identity, and future research directions are discussed. Public Significance StatementFirst names are an important part of our identity and can covey a lot of important social information about us, especially those identifying with more than one culture. Across three studies we found that cultural minorities often view names as a way to ensure the continuation of their ethnic cultural heritage, while also being aware that having an ethnic name can have drawbacks in a mainstream Western society.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Pragmatism In Naming Choicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Studies 1a and 1bmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Zahra or Zoe, Arjun or Andrew? Bicultural baby names reflect identity and pragmatic concerns.

Cila¹,

Lalonde²,

Sasaki³

et al. 2021

Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In particular, identity‐based theories may be an especially promising direction for future research to pursue. Drawing on social identity theory, emerging research on bicultural individuals in multicultural contexts demonstrates that concerns regarding continuation of ethnic or cultural heritage and language often fuse to lead such individuals to choose ethnic names or names not common in the official languages of their adopted country for their children (Cila & Lalonde, 2019). In other words, choice of these names was one way to signify ethnic or cultural connection or pride using a highly salient language marker.…”

Section: An Agenda For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

What is that I hear? An interdisciplinary review and research agenda for non‐native accents in the workplace

2022

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Summary Speaking with a non‐native English accent at work is a prevalent global phenomenon. Yet, our understanding of the impact of having a non‐native accent at work is limited, in part because research on accents has been multidisciplinary, fragmented, and difficult for scholars to access and synthesize. To advance research on accents in the workplace, we provide an interdisciplinary and integrative review of research on non‐native accents drawing from the communications, social psychology, and organizational sciences literatures. First, we briefly review the dominant approaches taken in each literature. Second, we organize and integrate extant research findings using a 2 × 2 framework that incorporates the two main theoretical perspectives used to explain the effects of accents—stereotypes and processing fluency—and the two primary categories of workplace outcomes examined—interpersonal (i.e., others' evaluations of speakers with non‐native accents, such as hiring recommendations) and intrapersonal (i.e., non‐native‐accented speakers' own evaluations and experiences, such as sense of belonging). To facilitate future research, we end by articulating a research agenda including theoretical and methodological expansions related to the study of accents, identifying critical moderators, adopting an intersectional approach, and studying group‐level and potential positive effects of speaking with non‐native accents.

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Beyond sectarian boundaries: Dimensions of Muslim Canadian religiosity and the prediction of sociocultural attitudes.

Haji

Cila

Lalonde

2022

Psychology of Religion and Spirituality

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An online study was used to evaluate the predictive validity of culturally relevant dimensions of religiosity in Muslim young adults. Students at a Canadian university who self-identified as Muslim (N = 189) completed measures of dimensions of religiosity: religious identity, religious practice, and religious knowledge. These dimensions were used to predict sociocultural attitudes including views on interfaith and interdenominational intimate relationships, support for veiling, and child naming intentions. Denominational (Sunni, Shia, or just Muslim [i.e., nondenominational Muslim]) differences were in line with past research and hypotheses. Importantly, dimensions of religiosity accounted for more variance in sociocultural attitudes than denominational affiliation within Islam. Results suggest the value of a psychological approach to understanding politically relevant sociocultural attitudes of religious groups living in numerical minority contexts and the importance of culturally appropriate measures when doing research with these groups.

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6. What’s in a Name? Motivations for Baby-Naming in Multicultural Contexts

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Zahra or Zoe, Arjun or Andrew? Bicultural baby names reflect identity and pragmatic concerns.

Zahra or Zoe, Arjun or Andrew? Bicultural baby names reflect identity and pragmatic concerns.

What is that I hear? An interdisciplinary review and research agenda for non‐native accents in the workplace

Beyond sectarian boundaries: Dimensions of Muslim Canadian religiosity and the prediction of sociocultural attitudes.

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