Assessing attitudes towards mutual acculturation in multicultural schools: Conceptualisation and validation of a four-dimensional mutual acculturation attitudes scale. (September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sidler, Petra; Kassis, Wassilis; Makarova, Elena; Janousch, Clarissa
• Is Part Of: International journal of intercultural relations. Volume 84(2021)
• Page Start: 300
• Page End: 314
• Publication Date: 2021-09
• Subjects: Mutual acculturation -- Acculturation attitudes -- Mutual intercultural relations -- Multicultural schools -- Scale validation -- Exploratory structural equation modelling; Intercultural communication -- Periodicals; Cultural relations -- Periodicals; Cross-cultural studies -- Periodicals; Communication interculturelle -- Périodiques; Relations culturelles -- Périodiques; Études transculturelles -- Périodiques; Cross-cultural studies; Cultural relations; Intercultural communication; Periodicals; 303.482
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2021.08.009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0147-1767

Abstract

Abstract: Assessment of acculturation attitudes usually has focused on the importance of two dimensions: first, immigrants' maintenance of cultural heritage and, second, immigrants' adoption of the majority culture. Because acculturation is a reciprocal interaction, we extended a bidimensional scale to four dimensions to assess mutual acculturation. Given the importance of the social context for acculturation and schools as a crucial context for immigrant pupils' acculturation, the scale extension was validated within the context of school. We hypothesised that acculturation attitudes are held not only towards immigrant pupils but also towards native pupils and towards schools' responsibility to support intercultural contact. The study sample comprised 364 secondary school pupils in Swiss multicultural schools. Using exploratory structural equation modelling, we validated four distinct dimensions of acculturation attitudes: attitudes towards immigrant pupils' (a) heritage culture maintenance and (b) adoption of the dominant culture and attitudes towards (c) native pupils acquiring cultural knowledge and (d) schools enabling intercultural contact . We conclude that the proposed four-dimensional scale is a valid tool for assessing attitudes towards mutual acculturation within the school context and that acculturation attitudes are held not only towards immigrant pupils but also towards native pupils and schools.