The role of immigrant acculturation preferences and generational status in determining majority intergroup attitudes

Abstract

Two experiments (Ns = 220, 135) investigated the role of first and second generation immigrants' desire for Culture Maintenance and Intercultural Contact in affecting majority members' intergroup attitudes (2 × 2 × 2 design). Participants were presented with fictitious interviews through which immigrants' acculturation preferences and generational status were manipulated. Immigrants' desire for contact strongly affected host members' attitudes: those who were perceived to want contact elicited more favourable intergroup attitudes than those who did not. Desire for contact also moderated the relationship between immigrants' desire for culture maintenance and attitudes towards them: culture maintenance only stimulated favourable attitudes if the immigrant also expressed desire for contact. Immigrants' generational status and their desire for Culture Maintenance were found to interact, such that less favourable attitudes were shown towards second generation immigrants refusing their heritage culture. Psychological processes mediating these effects were investigated, finding evidence for symbolic threat, appreciation for multiculturalism and metastereotypes. Overall, the results suggest that both immigrants' generational status and acculturation attitudes should be taken into account when studying intergroup attitudes of dominant groups and in planning interventions for the improvement of intercultural relations.

The double-edged effect of intergroup similarity: Muslim and Christian immigrants’ acculturation preferences on intergroup relations in Sweden

“…Moreover, the findings support the approach of measuring the dimensions of acculturation separately (Matera et al, 2011), as contact and culture maintenance gave rise to different intergroup climates for Christian and Muslim immigrants. following depictions of high versus low levels of minorities' identification with their heritage culture (Van Oudenhoven et al, 2006).…”

“…In line with H1, the results revealed that when minority members were perceived to desire contact, it generated positive intergroup attitudes among members of the majority. In addition to this, when both minorities sought contact, majority members reported lower levels of threat (H2) (Celeste et al, 2014;Matera et al, 2011). Majority members also associated both the Christian and Muslim minority who wished to maintain their culture with increased threat.…”

“…This built upon procedures previously used by Matera et al (2011Matera et al ( , 2012Matera et al ( , 2015, Celeste et al (2014) and Tip (2012).…”

“…This may reduce perceptions of intergroup anxiety, which is an anticipation of negative outcomes when interacting with members of other groups (Stephan & Stephan, 1985;Stephan, Stephan, & Gudykunst 1999b). Matera et al (2011) also found that majority members reported viewing integrating immigrants more favourably, because they were perceived to facilitate multiculturalism (see also Celeste, Brown, Tip, & Matera., 2014). However, acculturation studies concerning majority members' support for multiculturalism has produced mixed results.…”

« Nous autres aussi on aimerait ça garder notre culture » : les attitudes des élèves d’origine québécoise envers les élèves issus de l’immigration

“…Dans les trois écoles où notre étude a été menée, la volonté de s'intégrer aux élèves d'origine québécoise et de devenir amis avec eux était l'un des plus importants résultats émergeant des données provenant des entrevues avec des élèves issus de l'immigration (Steinbach et Lussier, 2013). Selon Matera, Stefanile et Brown (2011), le désir pour le contact intergroupe chez les immigrants susciterait des attitudes positives de la part des membres de la société d'accueil et réduirait la perception de menace et les métastéréotypes négatifs. Toutefois, dans les écoles A et B, il semble que ce désir n'était pas perçu des élèves d'origine québécoise, qui parlaient plutôt de conflits et qui ne voyaient pas ou peu les efforts faits par les nouveaux arrivants.…”