Acculturation, Identity and Wellbeing among Ethnocultural Youth

Acculturation is the process of cultural and psychological change that results from the prolonged contact between groups and individuals of different cultures. Much acculturation takes place in culturally-diverse societies that have emerged following colonization and immigration. There are three important acculturation issues that need consideration: how do individuals of different cultures engage each other; how well do they adapt to their intercultural situation; and are there relationships between how individuals acculturate and how well they adapt. Core concepts in dealing with these questions are acculturation strategies and cultural identities (how) and psychological and social wellbeing (how well). The search for relationships between answers to these two questions may allow the promotion of ways of acculturating that lead to greater wellbeing. Evidence from research with immigrant adults and youth who are settled in many societies reveals that there is indeed a ‘best practice’ for achieving wellbeing: those who engage both their heritage cultures and identities, as well as participate in the daily life of the larger society, have higher levels of wellbeing that those who engage with only one or the other, or with neither culture