Acculturation strategies among adolescents from immigrant families in Portugal

Abstract

The aim of this study was to understand preferences in acculturation strategies among adolescents with immigrant background in Portugal. The study sample consisted of 313 adolescents (mean age = 15.00 years; SD = 1.88). The mean duration of sojourn in Portugal for the sample was 8.2 years (SD = 4.8). Responses obtained from the questionnaire indicated that Integration is the most preferred acculturation strategy for all ethnic groups. With the exception of Cape Verdean, assimilation was the second most preferred strategy. Different demographic, intercultural and personality factors were found to account for 13% of the explained variance in assimilation, 46% of integration 32% of separation and 11% of marginalization. Acculturation strategy preference was found to depend in part on one's ethnicity (as a category or as an identity), majority identity, in-group social interaction, perceived discrimination, stressful experience adaptation, gender, age, and symptomatology. Out-group social interaction, majority language proficiency, as well as mastery and self-esteem were no important predictors of one acculturation strategy. These findings can be used as a prophylactic measures toward the adaptation of these youngsters. Understanding the complex relationships between demographic, intercultural and psychosocial adjustment factors, and acculturation strategies can help the social scientist to develop and apply adequate intervention strategies and to give some suggestions for the development of adequate socio-political acculturation programmes.