Acculturation profiles, psychosocial adaptation and perceived discrimination among Tunisian adolescents

Abstract

The study refers to data coming from the Italian section of MIRIPS project. It was focused on the analysis of the adaptation of Tunisian adolescents living in Italy and it was guided by the integration hypothesis, stating that migrants feel better if they are engaged in both their own culture and that of the larger society than if they engage in one or the other culture only. Using a person-oriented approach, the study investigated the relationships between acculturation profiles - namely patterns of relations between factors associated to the acculturation process (e.g., acculturation strategies, ethnic and national identities, ethnic and national language use, social contacts with people of the same ethnic group and autochthonous) - and some outcomes related to migrants' psychosocial adaptation, considering also the perceived discrimination. Participants were 380 Tunisian adolescents (males = 52%; mean age = 15.82) living in Sicily (Italy) and attending Italian secondary schools. Data were collected during school time using the MIRIPS questionnaire. Results of a cluster analysis showed that participants could be assigned to three different profiles: Bicultural (39 % of the sample), characterized by high levels of integration, national and ethnic identification, competence in national language and social contacts with Italian and ethnic group members; Ethnic (35%), characterized by high levels of separation, competence in ethnic language and ethnic identity; National (26%), characterized by high levels of assimilation, competence in national language, national identity and social contacts with Italians. A MANOVA showed that Ethnic profile adolescents reported higher levels of perceived discrimination and lower levels of psychosocial adjustment than others, whereas Bicultural showed higher levels of self-esteem than National and Ethnic adolescents. Finally, a multi-group structural equation modeling highlighted different patterns of relations between perceived discrimination and psychosocial adjustment depending on the acculturation profiles. Implications of these findings for the research and intervention in this field are discussed.