Exploring Cultural Identity in a Multicultural Context—the Special Case of Luxembourg

In light of globalization and increased cultural diversity, the question of cultural identity becomes particularly salient in many societies today. Whereas most studies have concentrated on cultural identity of immigrants, less is known about the identity constructions of non-immigrants and receiving country nationals living in a multicultural setting. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg with a foreign population of 48% provides an excellent example case here. The present study examined the cultural identity of two generations of native Luxembourgers, drawing on a content analysis of qualitative interviews with N = 18 participants belonging to nine family dyads, each composed of one (young) adult child and one parent. As Luxembourg’s cultural diversity has increased continuously in the last decades, we focussed here on similarities and differences between (young) adults and their parents in order to find out in how far age (i.e., different points in the individual life span) or generation (i.e., growing up in different times and historical contexts) might be highlighted in their cultural identity constructions. Five main domains pertaining to Luxembourger’s cultural identity were found through qualitative content analysis: ‘the Luxembourgish language’, ‘Belongingness to Luxembourg and the love for Luxembourg as a homeland’, ‘Europeanization and multiculturalism in Luxembourg’, ‘Representing Luxembourg as a native in international contexts’ and ‘Luxembourgish traditions and history’. While the older generation focused more on the feeling of belongingness to their home country, the younger generation made more specific links to Europe and multiculturalism. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.