PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Farnaz Kaighobadi
MA-Research
Summer 2007

Feminist Identity Development of Iranian Immigrant Women and Its Relationship with Their Psychological Well-Being

    This study examined the predictors of Feminist Identity Development (FID) of Iranian immigrant women and the relationship between stages of FID and psychological well-being.  The literature on FID showed support for this model at least among Caucasian women and suggested examining feminist identity and its developmental process in non-American populations.  This study recruited 151 female Iranian immigrant students from across the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia to participate in an online survey.  The results indicated that experiencing sexist events is one of the most important predictors of FID.  The results also revealed a significant positive association between well-being and more advanced stages of feminist identity, whereas a significant negative relation appeared between well-being and the two lowest states of feminist identity.  These relationships persist over and above acculturation and ethnic identity which were themselves significantly related to well-being.

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