TY - JOUR
T1 - Acculturation and adaptation of immigrant adolescents in Greek urban schools
AU - Motti-Stefanidi, Frosso
AU - Pavlopoulos, Vassilis
AU - Obradovic, Jelena
AU - Masten, Ann S.
PY - 2008/2
Y1 - 2008/2
N2 - The purpose of this study was to examine the acculturation, psychological well-being, and school adjustment of Pontian adolescents from the former Soviet Union (FSU-Pontians), who are immigrants of the diaspora living in Greece, compared with an immigrant group from Albania and native Greek classmates. The sample included 165 FSU-Pontian immigrants, 272 immigrants from Albania, and their 525 Greek classmates (mean age=13.7 years). School adjustment data were obtained using multiple methods and informants. Students also reported their subjective well-being and acculturation via multiple measures. Findings indicated that FSU-Pontian adolescents, although they are Greek citizens, had a stronger ethnic and a lower host-national orientation than did Albanian students. Both immigrant groups experienced similar difficulties in school adjustment. Involvement in Greek culture was a salient predictor of school adjustment, while involvement in one's ethnic culture was related to subjective well-being. Findings suggest that the acculturation expectations of host country members may be related to immigrants' acculturation orientations.
AB - The purpose of this study was to examine the acculturation, psychological well-being, and school adjustment of Pontian adolescents from the former Soviet Union (FSU-Pontians), who are immigrants of the diaspora living in Greece, compared with an immigrant group from Albania and native Greek classmates. The sample included 165 FSU-Pontian immigrants, 272 immigrants from Albania, and their 525 Greek classmates (mean age=13.7 years). School adjustment data were obtained using multiple methods and informants. Students also reported their subjective well-being and acculturation via multiple measures. Findings indicated that FSU-Pontian adolescents, although they are Greek citizens, had a stronger ethnic and a lower host-national orientation than did Albanian students. Both immigrant groups experienced similar difficulties in school adjustment. Involvement in Greek culture was a salient predictor of school adjustment, while involvement in one's ethnic culture was related to subjective well-being. Findings suggest that the acculturation expectations of host country members may be related to immigrants' acculturation orientations.
KW - Acculturation
KW - Adolescence
KW - Immigration
KW - Resilience
KW - School adjustment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=38849132800&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=38849132800&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00207590701804412
DO - 10.1080/00207590701804412
M3 - Article
C2 - 22023499
AN - SCOPUS:38849132800
SN - 0020-7594
VL - 43
SP - 45
EP - 58
JO - International Journal of Psychology
JF - International Journal of Psychology
IS - 1
ER -