414
24.23
(b)
TABLE 35
Comparison of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal response to
+
Statement 32 - strain towards negative identity
* *
tKnnσiv ʌgree NOt Disagree ∖i≡agT Mai°ri7
strongly e, sure b strongly support
Statement
32. Sometimes I feel
like doing something
bad just to show I
exist
Aboriginal response (N= 93) 3.4
Non-Aboriginal
response (№=289)
20.2 15.7 46.1
23.7 18.3 34.6
(disagree)
14.6 60.7
14.2
48.8
24.23 (c) Discussion
The majority of Aborigines (60.7 per cent) attested that they
did not have this feeling. Nevertheless, a sizeable group (23.6
per cent) agreed with this statement, 3.4 per cent agreeing stronglyɪ.
For the majority of Aborigines in the group, there was no evidence
of socialization into a negative identity as measured by their response
2
to this statement . The hypothesis was not supported.
It must be noted that throughout, while there has been major
support for statements that do not show negative identity, identity-
diffusion, there is a group which do show these characteristics.
These students will be the subject of a separate study.
7
A scanning of other responses shows that there is not, in fact,
a strain towards identity-diffusion on the part of Aborigines.
Responses to Statement 39, p. 419 below, show that the Aboriginal
response is one of believing that they are important to people, they
would be missed.