SELF-ESTEEM AMONG ETHNIC-MINORITIES AND 3 PRINCIPLES OF SELF-ESTEEM FORMATION - TURKISH CHILDREN IN THE NETHERLANDS

This study explores the importance of reflected appraisal. social comp arison and self-attribution as sources of ''academic'' self-esteem amo ng ethnic minority children. Turkish children in The Netherlands score d significantly lower on a standardized test of Dutch language command but did not have lower academic self-esteem in comparison with Dutch classmates. Self-attributed performance was the only important source of self-esteem among the Dutch. It was also an important source among the Turkish children in addition, however, to the perceived appraisal of Dutch classmates. These results indicate that to understand the lev el of self-esteem among different groups it seems necessary to concent rate on the processes of self-esteem formation and the way they operat e in these groups. It is suggested that minority position and culture can affect the importance attached to different sources of self-esteem .