Sachi Horback & Cheryll Rothery-Jackson
Cultural Marginality: Exploration of Self-Esteem and Cross Cultural Adaptation of the Marginalized Individual: An investigation of the second generation Hare KrishnasAbstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the cross-cultural adaptation of a sample of adults
raised in the Hare Krishna culture. Fifteen second generation ISKCON (International Society
for Krishna Consciousness) adults were asked to describe their family, peer, and social
interactions and the perceived impact on their cross-cultural adaptation. An analysis of
participant responses generated the following fifteen themes: (1) age and context of first
contact with mainstream culture, (2) process of cultural adaptation, (3) parents’ marital
status, (4) family relationships, (5) layers of marginality, (6) community norms and values,
(7) identity crises, (8) self-esteem and self-esteem scores, (9) views of ISKCON culture,
(10) views of mainstream culture, (11) cultural vernacular, (12) cultural emblems, (13)
role models, (14) current cultural membership, and (15) future family vision. The outcome
of the study was discussed with possible clinical issues which included the complexities
of cultural belongingness, healthy and self-destructive aspects of adaptation, and feelings
of terminal uniqueness.
Key Words: Cultural marginality, cross-cultural adaptation, Krishna Culture Kids