Individual and Collective Mobility Strategies among Minority Group Members

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Abstract
Examined were a number of predictions from major intergroup theories concerning factors associated with individual and collective mobility strategies among minority group members. Respondents were first-generation “visible” minority immigrants to Canada. Interviews were conducted by interviewers from the same ethnic group as that of the respondents and in the respondents' preferred languages. Contrary to the five-stage model of Taylor and McKirnan (1984), but in accord with a minority group perspective on intergroup relations, individual action was preferred by less talented minority group members. In support of social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1986), individual action was associated with higher belief in the legitimacy of the social system, and, as predicted by relative deprivation theory (Runciman, 1966), collective action was associated with perceived group but not personal discrimination. Support was also found for resource mobilization theory (McCarthy & Zald, 1979), in that resource availability was associated with collective action.