2004/05/17 by Otmane Ait Ouarasse, Fons J. R. van de Vijver
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Cultural Differences and Values #International Student and Expatriate Challenges #Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
paper · doi:10.1080/00207590344000367
openalex publication_date 2004/05/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
T he goals of this research were twofold: (1) to explore the structure of the perceived acculturation context in a group of 155 Moroccan adolescents and young adults living in the Netherlands, and (2) to examine to what extent this structure can predict quality of relationships, success, and mental health. The perceived acculturation context turned out to be multidimensional and its dimensions independent. The perceived mainstream context consisted of a tolerance factor and an integration factor while the perceived minority context consisted of a permissiveness to adjust factor and an ethnic vitality factor. A path model in which both the perceived mainstream and minority contexts predicted acculturation outcomes showed a good fit. The effects flowed from context to relationships to success to acculturative stress, were both direct and indirect, and showed the expected signs. Both perceived mainstream context and perceived minority context were more or less equally, though distinctly, important. While the mainstream context was crucial for work success, the minority context remained especially important in leading to school success and good mental health. A good fit was found for a model in which sociocultural adaptation preceded psychological adaptation and within the sociocultural component of adaptation, quality of relationships preceded school success, which, in turn, preceded work success.