Growing Up With Diversity: Some Challenges for Future Research (original) (raw)
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Understanding adolescents’ acculturation processes: New insights from the intergroup perspective
New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2020
Recent developments in the acculturation literature have emphasized the importance of adopting inter-group perspectives that provide a valuable background for investigating how acculturation orientations (i.e., maintenance of the culture of origin and the adoption of the destination culture) of adolescents from migrant families are embedded in their proximal socialization contexts. Accordingly, we sought to understand the combined effects of the perceived parents' acculturation orientations and classmates' acculturation preferences on adolescents' own acculturation orientations in two independent cultural contexts, namely NorthEast of Italy (Study I) and SouthEast of Turkey (Study II). Participants were 269 (53.2% female; Mage = 14.77) and 211 (71.1% female; Mage = 15.37) adolescents from migrant families in Italy and in Turkey, respectively. Findings indicated that adolescents' acculturation orientations were influenced by their perceptions of both parents' acculturation orientations and classmates' acculturation preferences. In addition, the effects of parents' adoption of the destination culture were stronger than the effects of classmates' preferences for adoption of the destination culture in both countries. However, the effects of parents' maintenance of the culture of origin were stronger than the effects of classmates' preferences for maintaining the culture of origin in Turkey, but not in Italy.
Developing ethnic identities and ethnic attitudes in children: Theory and research in context
2013
The vast amount of human migration and resettlement around the world since the last century has brought about lasting social, political and cultural changes to many countries, not least in terms of their ethnic demographics and consequently the senses of ethnic identity and attitudes that their young develop. This chapter reviews the major works from the great body of literature in this field spanning over several decades. These include empirical studies from North America and parts of Europe that have been typically ethnic 'heterogeneous' as well as those from societies that, until recently, have been relatively homogeneous so that contextual issues can be discussed. Critical analysis is devoted to theoretical perspectives and associated methodological approaches which have been used to conceptualise and investigate this aspect of child development with the aim of evaluating the role of cognitive/child-individual, social-developmental and other social-structural/contextual factors, processes and prevalent discourses. Certain recurring phenomena and debates are highlighted: the non-equivalent developmental patterns of ethnic majority versus minority children; the issues in understanding the ethnic identity of the fast-increasing number of mixed race or 'interethnic' children; the ongoing challenge in reconciling diverse approaches to research (such as positivist 'quantitative' versus interpretive 'qualitative' approaches and explicit versus implicit measures). The chapter finishes with some recommendations for more inclusive and dynamic approaches towards studying this aspect of development as well as for applying this understanding in practical areas.
2022
Although acculturation is considered a mutual process, no measure assesses attitudes toward mutual acculturation. Through a novel four-dimensional measurement, this study addresses this research gap by assessing attitudes toward minority and majority acculturation and its relation to psychological adjustment for immigrant-background minority and non-immigrant majority adolescents in public secondary schools in three European countries: in Germany (n = 346, 46% female, M age = 12.78 years, range 11-16), Greece (n = 439, 56% female, M age = 12.29 years, range 11-20), and Switzerland (n = 375, 47% female, M age = 12.67 years, range 11-15). Latent profile analyses led to three distinct acculturation profiles in all three countries: strong and mild mutual integration profiles, where both migrant and majority students are expected to integrate, and a third profile assuming lower responsibility upon the majority. Additionally, those in the strong-and mild-integration profiles reported stronger psychological adjustment than those assuming lower responsibility upon the majority, which held for all students in Switzerland and mostly for those without a migration background in Germany. The findings demonstrate the importance of a mutual acculturation framework for future research. Moreover, as most adolescents fit in with one of the mutual integration patterns, findings stress that no matter their migration background, adolescents favor mutual integration including the expectation on schools to enhance intercultural contact.
Acculturation as a Developmental Pathway
Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2003
This chapter looks at some developmental issues in the acculturation of children and adolescents with immigrant backgrounds. In addition to raising critical questions about this line of research, the chapter examines some underlying assumptions and their implications for the study of acculturation in younger people. It is argued that ambiguities in the final outcome of acculturation and differences in acculturation experiences of adults and children make it necessary to bring developmental perspectives closer into this line of research among children and adolescents in immigrant families. Against this background a modified developmental contextual model is suggested as an alternate perspective to the understanding of the acculturation of children and adolescents.
Immigrant Youth: Acculturation, Identity, and Adaptation
Applied Psychology, 2006
Cet article présente plusieurs des principaux résultats d’une grande étude internationale sur l’acculturation et l’adaptation de jeunes immigrés (âgés de 13 à 18 ans) qui se sont implantés dans treize pays (N = 5,366); il y est adjoint un échantillon de jeunes nationaux (N = 2,631). La recherche s’appuyait sur trois questions centrales: comment les jeunes migrants gèrent‐ils le processus d’acculturation? Comment parviennent‐ils à s’adapter? Et y a‐t‐il un lien manifeste entre la forme d’acculturation et le succès de l’adaptation? L’analyse en clusters déboucha sur quatre profils d’acculturation: intégrateur, ethnique, national et diffus. L’analyse factorielle de cinq variables d’adaptation mit en évidence deux types d’adaptation: psychologique et socioculturel. Il existe une forte relation entre la façon dont les jeunes s’acculturent et leur adaptation: ceux qui présentent un profil intégrateur bénéficient des meilleurs indicateurs d’adaptations psychologique et socioculturelle alor...
International Journal of …, 2004
The psychological adjustment of ethnic minority children has received little research attention, particularly in Britain. The present study set out to investigate the adjustment of Indian children living in Britain as well as the adjustment of their English peers. The sample consisted of 125 children (66 Indian and 59 English) between the ages of 7 and 9 (M = 8.51, SD = .62) and their parents and teachers. Mothers, fathers and teachers reported about the children's problem behavior, and parents also reported on their acculturation strategy and use of their Indian language. Analyses revealed that overall Indian children seem to be well adjusted in Britain. Nevertheless, according to parental reports, they exhibited more internalizing problems than did their English peers. No significant differences, however, were found for externalizing or total problem behavior. Furthermore, within the Indian group, it was found that children whose mothers and fathers were more traditional in their acculturation style displayed lower levels of externalizing, internalizing and total problem behavior, according to their teachers. In addition, children whose mothers and fathers utilized their Indian language to a greater extent displayed lower levels of externalizing and total problem behavior (teachers' reports). These findings highlight the importance of examining the adjustment of ethnic minority children in multiple contexts.