Majority group perceptions of minority acculturation preferences: The role of perceived threat

Recently, there has been growing focus on the intergroup influences of acculturation preferences, and in particular majority members’ perceptions of how minority members want to acculturate. This paper contributes to this emergent literature by examining the extent to which majority members in the UK perceive that minority members’ preferences for heritage culture maintenance and majority culture adoption are conflicting, and whether this is moderated by perceived threat. One hundred and sixty-three participants who self-reported being white British completed an online survey. Participants were asked about their perceptions of minority acculturation preferences for two target groups living in the UK: Pakistani and German minority groups. Overall, perceived culture maintenance and perceived culture adoption were weakly negatively associated for both groups. Moreover, results confirmed the pre-registered hypotheses, but only for the Pakistani target group. At higher levels of perceived threat, perceived culture maintenance was related to less perceived culture adoption. However, when threat was low, there was no association between perceived heritage culture maintenance and perceived culture adoption. For the German target group, threat did not moderate the relationship between perceived culture maintenance and perceived culture adoption. Findings suggest that depending on levels of perceived threat and the minority group in question, majority members perceiving that minority members maintain their heritage culture has different consequences. Results are discussed in relation to implications for integration, intergroup relations in culturally plural societies, and the need to focus on specific minority groups when studying acculturation processes.     

Intergroup contact in context: The mediating role of social norms and group-based perceptions on the contact–prejudice link

The prejudice-reducing effects of intergroup contact have been well documented. However few studies have investigated the importance of the broader context within which contact occurs. The current study examined the predictors of social distance from Muslims in a large sample of Australian secondary school children (N = 980). Intergroup contact was an important predictor of reduced social distance even after demographics and perceptions of parents, school, media and broader intergroup dynamics were taken into account. However, in part the contact–social distance relationship was mediated by perceived parental support for intergroup relations and perceived fairness of media representation. Student's perceptions of broader group dynamics relating to collective threat and differentiation between groups impeded the relationship. The findings attest to the importance of the broader context within which contact occurs. Having contact with outgroup members leads to reduced social distance to the outgroup, however perceived norms and outgroup perceptions play a pivotal role in explaining this relationship.     

Immigrants' generational status affects emotional reactions to informal social control : The role of perceived legitimacy of the source of control

The study explores the emotional reactions and behavioral tendencies of people when they are told that their action deviates from current social norms. Of particular interest is the extent to which these reactions differ depending on the social controller's group membership. First- and second-generation North African immigrants in France (i.e., Maghrebians) were asked to imagine a situation in which they produced a counter-normative act and received disapproval from another Maghrebians immigrant or a member of the host community. They appraised the legitimacy of social control and the perception of being discriminated by this act of social control and rated their emotional and behavioral reaction to social control. First-generation immigrants reported less anger, more moral emotions, and a greater desire to repair their transgression when the social controller was presented as a member of the host society rather than a Maghrebian social controller. The results were reversed for second-generation immigrants. This asymmetry between first- and second-generation immigrants was mainly due to a mediating effect of the perceived legitimacy of social control, whereas perceived discrimination was not a significant mediator. This research demonstrates that the perceived legitimacy of social control based on the ethnic group membership of the social controller has profound effects on emotions and behaviors intended by the deviant.     

Arab Mediterranean youth's values: The role of values and value congruence on intentions to Emigrate

This paper analyses the role of personal values, value congruence and intentions to emigrate among Middle East and North Africa (MENA) youth. We use a survey data set (N = 8.087) from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia, collected among respondents aged 15–29. Results showed that beyond demographic characteristics, such as being male, highly educated and not having a job, personal values predicted higher chances of reporting intentions to emigrate. Logistic regression results showed that stimulation and achievement values predicted higher, and tradition values predicted lower chances of reporting intentions to emigrate. Furthermore, value congruence (i.e., having similar values as those of most of their co-nationals) was related to lower chances of reporting intentions to emigrate. These results support the notion that those who intend to emigrate differ from their co-nationals in terms of value priorities. We discuss the policy implications of our findings.     

The mediating effect of sociocultural adaptation and cultural intelligence on citizens and migrants: Impact on perceptions of country images

Reports indicate that international migration patterns will continue to grow between 50 and 60 million per decade. Consequently, people’s perceptions of a country’s image will evolve. Country image is an important phenomenon affecting organizations and people’s decisions to travel, invest, study, migrate, and many more. Hence, this study aims to examine the influence of global and local identity on citizens’ and migrants’ perceptions of their countries’ images. In addition, the paper investigates the mediating effect of lower sociocultural adaptation and cultural intelligence on a country’s image. Our sample is drawn from Indonesians and Australians who completed survey questionnaires in the two countries. The sample comprises citizens and migrants (n = 1188) from Australia and Indonesia. The results show local and global identity differences in how individuals perceive other countries. For Indonesians, local identity makes people perceive Australia more positively. In contrast, for Australians, global identity makes people perceive Indonesia more negatively. Furthermore, the results indicate the importance of cultural intelligence over sociocultural adaptation. This paper will make several theoretical and managerial contributions. First, the paper contributes to cultural and identity literature. Individuals’ perceptions of a country are influenced by their identity and values. Second, this study shows the importance of sociocultural adaptation and cultural intelligence. Mere identity (global or local) is insufficient to justify the relationship between identity and perception of a country.     

The nature of American student reentry adjustment and perceptions of the sojourn experience

This study investigated reentry adjustment experiences of American students after an extended sojourn abroad. Fifty-eight overseas sojourners were compared to 74 domestic travellers and findings indicated that the returnees from abroad experienced much greater reentry adjustment problems. The results support previous studies which document the existence of the reentry adjustment phenomenon. Results revealed that changes in the individual's value structure are an important factor that is associated with reentry adjustment. This study underscores previous research which states that the reentry transitional period includes positive and growthful aspects for the returnees.     

The relationship between student sojourner perceptions of intercultural competencies and previous sojourn experience

This study investigated the relationship between perceived intercultural competence and sojourn experience. Three groups of student sojourners with varying amounts of intercultural experience (none, less than three months, 3–12 months) completed an 18-item questionnaire measuring four general areas of intercultural competence, drawn from previous literature. First, sojourner ratings were submitted to factor analysis which confirmed the four conceptual dimensions found in previous literature, with slight modifications: Awareness of Self and Culture, Awareness of Implications of Cultural Differences, Interpersonal Flexibility and Ability to Facilitate Communication. Scales were constructed from the individual items and ratings of the three sojourner groups were compared on ratings of their perceived competence on the four dimensions. Results of the statistical analysis revealed significant differences among the three groups on two of the four dimensions of intercultural competence: Sojourners with the most intercultural experience (3–12 months) rated their ability significantly higher than those with no experience on: Awareness of Self and Culture, and Ability to Facilitate Communication. Results are examined for implications for future research and application.     

The effect of vertical-horizontal individualism-collectivism on acculturation and the moderating role of gender

Based on a sample of 131 Chinese international students in Germany, the study examined (1) the influence of vertical-horizontal individualism-collectivism (Triandis & Gelfand, 1998) on mainstream and heritage acculturation and (2) the moderating role of gender on these relationships. It was hypothesized that both vertical-horizontal individualism would enhance mainstream acculturation and both vertical-horizontal collectivism would enhance heritage acculturation. From a gender role and a value-motivation perspective, a moderating effect of gender was also hypothesized. Since the vertical dimension is related to power and achievement values which is more important for men, men who scored high in this dimension would be more likely to acculturate than women. Since the horizontal dimension is related to universalism and benevolence which is more important for women, women who scored high in this dimension would be more likely to acculturate than men. The hierarchical regression analysis shows that (1) women's mainstream acculturation was higher than men's, but no gender difference was found in heritage acculturation; (2) the influence of horizontal individualism on mainstream acculturation was stronger for women than for men, but adopting vertical individualism has an equally positive effect on acculturation for both gender groups; (3) vertical collectivism had a positive influence on heritage acculturation for men but not for women, while horizontal collectivism had a stronger influence on heritage acculturation for women than men. These findings were discussed using a gender role perspective and the possible changes in cultural transitions.     

Acculturation and academic achievement of rural to urban migrant youth: The role of school satisfaction and family closeness

China's 'tidal wave' of rural to urban migration has had a tremendous impact on the educational outcomes of its children. It remains unexplored how and when do migrant children’s experience of acculturation following arrival in the place of settlement influence their academic achievement. This study used a stratified cross-sectional sample of 2412 Chinese migrant children and adolescents aged 10–18 (Mean = 14, 45 % female) to investigate the role of school satisfaction and family closeness in the relationship between acculturation patterns and academic achievement. Acculturation patterns are derived from the bidimensional model proposed by Berry (2005). The results indicated that integration had a positive association with concurrent academic achievement. School satisfaction was a mediator between integration and academic achievement. Furthermore, the full mediation of school satisfaction was only supported when there was a high level of family closeness. Findings from this study underline the usefulness of the bi-dimensional model in understanding the individual differences in academic achievement and suggest greater attention to the cultural variations in interpersonal functioning at the family and school context.     

Globalization and radicalization: A cross-national study of local embeddedness and reactions to cultural globalization in regard to violent extremism

Local contexts have been increasingly influenced by the transformative power of cultural globalization. These dynamic processes have proliferated intercultural connectivity, catalyzing both exclusionary reactions of ethnic protection and integrative reactions of multicultural acquisition. To be able to negotiate a globalized cultural diversity, the individual needs to be securely and reliably embedded within the local sociocultural context conceptualized as secure life attachment. The present study investigates the interplay among life attachment, psychological reactions to cultural globalization, and various aspects of radicalization in student samples from Denmark (n = 223) and India (n = 254). Results reveal that insecure life attachment was directly associated with an extremist attitude and with endorsement of both violent and illegal means in relation to extremism. Furthermore, multicultural acquisition and ethnic protection appear to mediate the relationship between insecure life attachment and various aspects of radicalization. Insecure life attachment relates to an extremist attitude and acceptance of illegal means in relation to extremism through ethnic protection. Additionally, insecure life attachment is associated with acceptance of violent means in relation to extremism through both ethnic protection and multicultural acquisition. The results illustrate the key role of contextual safety and reliability as platforms for approaching cultural globalization and avoiding radicalized essentialist pitfalls.     

Valuing diversity in Spain and Canada: The role of multicultural ideology in intergroup attitudes and intentions to reduce inequalities

Multicultural ideology proposes that group memberships should be not just acknowledged but also valued in order to accommodate diversity and attain equality. In three studies conducted in Spain and Canada we analyzed, using different measures, the relationship between multicultural ideology on the one hand and prejudice, support for social policies, and motivation for social change on the other hand. In Spain we focused on responses to Gitanos (Spanish Roma) and, in Canada, on First Nations people. Results showed that multicultural ideology was related in both cases to lower prejudice and higher support for social policies to support the minority group and motivation for social change. The internal motivation to control prejudice was an important mediator of this relationship in both countries. In contrast, the way in which social identities are represented played a different role as a function of country: whereas a dual identity representation played a mediating role in Canada, a common identity representation was the mediator in Spain. These results support the importance of valuing cultural diversity to harmonize intergroup relations and to reduce inequalities between majorities and minority groups.     

Workplace and school microaggressions on anxiety symptoms: The role of cultural values among Hispanic Americans

ObjectivesThis study examined the main and interaction effects of the workplace and school microaggressions and cultural values of cultural pride, familismo, espiritismo, and simpatia on anxiety symptoms among Hispanic Americans.Design266 U.S. Hispanic American college students participated in this cross-sectional survey research. Of the 266 participants, 68% identified as cisgender women; 87% reported English mastery. The reported mean age was 19.92 (SD = 3.07).ResultsTo test whether cultural values moderated the relationship between workplace and school microaggression on anxiety symptoms, we conducted separate interaction models for each interaction term. Findings showed that overall, cultural values and specific values of cultural pride and espiritismo moderated the relationship between workplace and school microaggression on anxiety symptoms. Specifically, the positive relationship between workplace and school microaggression and anxiety symptoms was most robust for Hispanic Americans endorsing greater cultural values and specific values of cultural pride and espiritismo.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that Hispanic Americans who closely associate with these cultural values may be more conscious of being othered and marginalized by these microaggressions, which may lead to higher reports of anxiety symptoms. Taken together, our findings suggest that these cultural values may serve as a risk or protective factor in the relationship between workplace and school microaggressions and anxiety symptoms and has implications for vocational interventions.     

International assignments: The role of social support and personal initiative

This study adapts components of Fay and Frese's nomological network of personal initiative (2001) and Caligiuri and Lazarova's model (2002) for the influence of social support on adjustment. Based thereon, a model for the relationship between personal initiative, social support and work adjustment was developed and tested. One-hundred twenty-seven expatriates answered an online questionnaire during and after their foreign sojourn. Results suggest that personal initiative of the expatriates and social support received from supervisors - but not from their co-workers - predicted job satisfaction, job stress and job performance of the expatriates. Social support and personal initiative have a strong relationship with successful work adjustment. Personal initiative moderates the relationship between social support from co-workers and job performance. There are practical implications for companies that send their staff on international assignments. Implications for the concept of personal initiative in expatriate adjustment research are discussed.     

Discrimination and multicultural identity configurations: The mediating role of stress

The present research examines perceived discrimination as a predictor of how multicultural individuals negotiate and configure their different cultural identities within the self. We focused on three multicultural identity configurations: having one predominant identity (categorization), compartmentalizing one’s different identities, and integrating one’s identities. Since discrimination is related to intraindividual discordance and is stressful, we examined the mediating role of stress in the associations between discrimination and the identity configurations in 259 multicultural individuals. Mediation analyses revealed that greater discrimination predicted compartmentalization through greater stress, while lower discrimination predicted greater identity integration through lower stress. Categorization was not predicted by discrimination or by stress. Discrimination and stress appear to have damaging and depleting roles that hamper multiculturals’ capacity to reconcile their identities into a cohesive whole.     

The mediating role of moral exclusion between authoritarianism and outgroup discrimination

It has been well-documented that right wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation as two facets of the authoritarian personality differentially account for a variety of negative intergroup behaviors. Integrating the Dual Process Model (Duckitt, 2001), with the literature on “Moral exclusion” (e.g., Opotow, 1990; Tileagă, 2007) we investigated whether or not moral exclusion would mediate such a relationship. Employing survey data (N = 1015), collected from a representative Hungarian sample, we found that moral exclusion mediated the effects of both RWA and SDO on the negative behavioral intentions against Roma as well as Jewish minorities in Hungary. Moreover, we argued that the concept of moral exclusion should be interpreted not as a generalized tendency, but as a mechanism which can be stemmed from distinct social cognitive motivations.     

Being tolerated and minority well-being: The role of group identifications

In recent decades, a norm of tolerating group differences has been promoted by laypeople and leaders as a way to manage cultural and religious diversity. But whether such a policy is beneficial for the targets’ sense of group belonging and well-being is unknown. This research investigates how being tolerated differs from being discriminated against and being accepted in its associations with affective well-being and ethnic and national identification of ethnic minorities. We test whether being tolerated is related to well-being through its association with both group identifications. With a sample of ethnic minority group members in the Netherlands (N = 518) we found that being tolerated is related to higher well-being through increased national identification, but not as strongly as being accepted. Being tolerated is different from experiencing discrimination against and being accepted, and its relations to well-being and group belonging often fall between those of discrimination and acceptance. Toleration is associated with higher well-being, but only to the extent that its targets feel included in the overarching national category.     

Acculturation and cross-cultural adaptation: The moderating role of social support

Previous studies have consistently demonstrated the beneficial impacts of the acculturation strategy of integration and the detrimental impacts of the acculturation strategy of marginalization on adaptation outcomes. This study attempts to extend the existing literature by examining the potential moderating role of social support in the relationships between acculturation strategies and cross-cultural adaptation. Specifically, it was hypothesized that social support from family, local friends, and non-local friends would enhance the positive effects of the integration strategy and buffer the negative effects of the marginalization strategy on sociocultural and psychological adaptation. Participants were 188 Mainland Chinese sojourning university students in Hong Kong. Consistent with our predictions, social support from local friends was found to significantly moderate the effects of the integration and marginalization strategies on sociocultural and psychological adaptation. Unexpectedly, it was shown that social support from non-local friends significantly weakened the positive effect of the integration strategy on psychological adaptation. In addition, further analyses on the potentially domain-specific effects of acculturation strategies and social support on psychological adaptation showed that social support from local friends and non-local friends and acculturation strategies of integration and marginalization interacted to influence only one specific domain of psychological adaptation (mutual trust and acceptance). Implications of this study and possible explanations for the discordant findings are discussed.     

Do managers and students share the same perceptions of societal culture?

This article explores the notions of convergence and divergence in respect of societal cultural practices and values within and across Austria and the Republic of Ireland, by comparing samples of middle managers and students on nine dimensions of culture. In the context of globalization, we consider whether there is evidence of cultural convergence across the Austrian and Irish samples or if the data of the two countries remain distinct (country effect). We also ask whether differences between managers and students can be attributed to cohort/age effects. Our findings suggest that there is some convergence, but also that the country effect is more dominant than the cohort/age effect for both practices and values. High within-country consistency exists in respect of practices between Irish students and managers and between Austrian students and managers. For values, there is evidence of convergence across all four sub-samples on four cultural dimensions, namely Power Distance, Gender Egalitarianism, Collectivism I and Future Orientation. We discuss whether the dynamics underlying such convergence can be attributed to cultural change, generational differences and/or an idealized worldview held by the younger generation.     

Intercultural perceptions in United States subsidiaries of Japanese companies

Japanese and U.S. managers working together in eight Japanese-owned commercial banks in the United Stales participated in the study. Senior and upper-middle level managers of both nationalities rated employees from each national group on 13 bipolar semantic differential adjective items. In contrast to typical studies of intercultural stereotypes between groups having no actual contact with one another, the present study focuses on groups working together in international businesses. Individual responses were analyzed to compare perceived similarities and differences by the two employee groups. As anticipated, considerable differences were found. Implications for mutual understanding between these cultural groups in international business are discussed.     

The role of multicultural and colorblind ideologies and typicality in imagined contact interventions

Recent studies have demonstrated that simply imagining a positive interaction with an outgroup member reduces prejudice, especially if the outgroup member is typical of the whole outgroup. In this research, we tested how a multicultural vs. colorblind mindset might impact the efficacy of imagined contact with a typical or atypical outgroup member. Specifically, we tested the interactive effects between ideologies (multiculturalism vs. colorblindness) and the typicality of the outgroup member (typical vs. atypical) in the imagined encounter. Results revealed that participants exposed to the multicultural ideology who imagined an encounter with an atypical outgroup member expressed fewer positive perceptions (warmth and competence) toward both primary and secondary outgroups compared with respondents exposed to the multicultural ideology who imagined an interaction with a typical outgroup member, and compared with respondents exposed to a colorblind ideology (irrespective of typicality of the outgroup member). The study highlights the importance of considering the interaction between cultural ideologies and typicality during intergroup contact when designing interventions aimed at promoting positive intergroup perceptions.