Identity Development - W. S. Carlos Poston Model

W. S. Carlos Poston developed the Bi-racial Identity Development Model as result of the then limited understanding and shortcoming of the racial identity development models which could not be effectively applied to the growing Mixed identifying population.

Below is a break down and summary of the six stages through which bi-racial or mixed person undergoes, working through these stages might not be linear and some bi-racial or mixed identifying persons might go through all of the stages or some of the stages.

1. PERSONAL IDENTITY: Sense of self develops unrelated to ethnic grouping; occurs during childhood.

2. CHOICE OF GROUP: As a result of multiple factors, individuals feel pressured to choose one racial or ethnic group identity over another due to social and economic status or physical appearance.

3. CATEGORISATION: Choices influenced by status of the group, parental influence, cultural knowledge, appearance.

4. ENMESHMENT/ DENIAL: Guilt and confusion about choosing an identity that isn’t fully expressive of all their cultural influences; denial of differences between the racial groupings; possible exploration of the identities that were not chosen in stages 2 and 3.

5. APPRECIATION: Of multiple identities.

6. INTEGRATION: Sense of wholeness, integrating multiple identities

Poston’s Bi-racial Identity Development model was expanded upon by K. A. Rockquemore and T. Laszloffy in their paper Continuum of Biracial Identity Model, published 2005. A summary of the finding from the research include:

• Some people may choose to identify singularly with one of their ethnic/racial identities.

• Some may blend with a primary emphasis on one ethnic/racial identity and a secondary emphasis on the other ethnic/racial identity.

• Some may blend two or more ethnic/racial identities with equal emphasis.

For further reading, or mored detailed understanding of these six stages, check out link.