SOCIAL ADAPTATION DIFFICULTIES OF ADOLESCENTS WITH IMMIGRANT BACKGROUNDS

Abstract

This paper examines the social adaptation among Portuguese youth born in France. The study sample consisted of one hundred and nine Portuguese second generation migrants resident in Paris (34% male and 66% female). The following instruments were administered to all subjects: the Social Adaptation Scale, the Acculturation Attitudes Scales, the Acculturative Experience Scale, the Cultural Maintenance Scale, the Acculturative Stress Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Self-Esteem Scale, as well as a background inventory. No gender, age or religion participation differences were found, but there were significant effects on social adaptation with ethnic identity, migratory plans and acculturation attitudes. The greatest amount of social difficulty was experienced by adolescents who endorsed a separatist position, the least by assimilated respondents – however, there were no other significant differences among the four groups. Social adaptation showed negative correlation with French acculturation experience, French language competency, satisfaction in the host society, satisfaction with life and self-esteem and positive correlation with Portuguese cultural maintenance and acculturative stress. Social learning variables, such as French language competency and Portuguese cultural maintenance, were stronger predictors of social adaptation than were psychological adaptation variables.