Quad-dimensional acculturation, cultural integration, and life satisfaction of South Sudanese refugee young adults in the United States: A quasilongitudinal qualitative study.

Abstract

This study aims to describe acculturation among South Sudanese refugees (SSRes) as young adults in the U.S. based on a tridimensional (3D) acculturation framework. Aligning with a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, the present study was designed to investigate in-depth individual experiences of SSRes in two phases, conducting 19 interviews in 2007 and 11 interviews in 2014-2015. The data analysis employed a modified grounded theory approach. A grounded theory emerged indicating that, over time, SSRes experienced quad-dimensional acculturation that included South Sudanese, mainstream American, African American, and African cultures and orientations. Although bidimensional acculturation was prominent in Phase 1, quad-dimensional acculturation emerged and was salient in Phase 2. Furthermore, participants who demonstrated an integrated perspective toward their acculturation tended to report higher life satisfaction scores than those who expressed conflicted perspectives. The findings have theoretical and practical implications for African refugees' adjustment and psychological well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).