| The aim of this research project is to examine the relationship between acculturation (defined as a process of cultural change), family relationships, and psychological adjustment. The first part of the project is conceptual and aims at determining the structural equivalence of the vital concept of the study, i.e., familialism; the question is then addressed to what extent attitudes and behaviors associated with familialism are identical across different cultural groups in the Netherlands (more specifically, native Dutch, Turks, Moroccans, Surinamese, and Antilleans). The research project also examines how familialism changes in nature and degree during the process of acculturation in members of the four migrant groups mentioned. Three models that have been proposed in the literature are compared: (1) the adaptation model that implies change in familialism as a result of acculturation toward the Western pattern, (2) the contextual-developmental-functional model that predicts few changes in familialism (no changes in the emotional component) as acculturation does not significantly influence family values, and finally (3) the acculturation stress model that implies that family relationships are strengthened as reaction to stress and acculturation. In addition, the components, the perceived reciprocity, and the attitude-behavior correspondence of familiailism, the impact of familialism on well-being, and the correspondence between family-dyads are examined in the Dutch majority and the migrant samples. The intended results of this research project is an overview of relationships among socio-structural, cultural, and family processes of acculturation. |
