Noulas, Paraskevi. A qualitative research study on the effects of culture on career choice for first generation American psychologists. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3F76CBV
DescriptionAn exploratory qualitative study examined how a bicultural background influenced career choice for first generation American psychologists. First generation is defined as a person who was born in the United States and whose parents are immigrants. Vocational psychology literature has studied various factors affecting career choice (family values, education, etc.). However, there is a paucity of research regarding bicultural American experiences. The study was conducted via a semi-structured interview format. One clinical psychology graduate student served as the pilot subject for the study. Five clinical and school psychologists (one male, four female) agreed to participate in the interviews. The recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed to identify themes within and across the subjects’ experiences. Six themes regarding the subjects’ bicultural experiences were revealed: 1) Culture, 2) Socioeconomic status, 3) Language, 4) Impact of Generation, 5) Fluid Sense of Identity, and 6) Neighborhood. The results of the study illustrate the complicated nature of being bicultural and its impact on career choice. The benefits of first generation Americans working in the field of psychology are discussed and suggestions are made for future research.