Acculturation of Greek Family Values

Abstract

This article brings together two areas of current interest in cross-cultural psychology: acculturation and values. Specifically, to what extent do the values held by individuals change as they undergo the experience of acculturation? The cross-cultural study of values frequently examines a broad array of values, but the present study focuses on Greek family values because family is a central cultural institution. Because policies of the host society affect the process of acculturation, it was expected that Greek family values would be sustained after immigration to Canada (where integration is the policy) more than they would after immigration to European countries (where assimilation is emphasized more). It was also predicted that older people and males would subscribe to these values to a greater extent than would younger people and females. A total of 16 samples (N= 951) from Greece, Canada, the Netherlands, and Germany were drawn for the study and were administered a 65-item questionnaire. The results demonstrated significant value change in relation to acculturation across countries and between generations. The joint process of "culture shedding" and "culture learning" was supported.