Contextualizing Acculturation: Multi-level and Multi-group Perspectives
As today’s societies are becoming ever more culturally diverse, cross-cultural research on
contact and acculturation increasingly focuses on diversity and its outcomes, which are not
always positive. This workshop starts from the question to what extent and when diversity is
an asset for immigrant minorities and for societies at large. We will investigate how minority
and majority group members experience culture contact in organizations or societies with
different diversity climates (e.g., norms, values, ideologies …). To this end, students will be
encouraged to engage with multi-level (at the level of individuals, organizations and societies)
and multi-group (minority and majority group perspectives) approaches, data, and methods.
GUIDELINES FOR READING
 Pay attention to the concepts: culture, identity, integration, diversity, multiculturalism,
biculturalism, dual identity
 Pay attention to different conceptualizations of acculturation (e.g., emotions, contact,
culture learning etc.)
 Pick your favorite article and articulate what you like about it. Are you convinced
about the results? What would you do differently if you were conducting the study or
framing the article (for review papers)?
 Pick one argument/finding as your favorite and articulate what you like about it.
 When is diversity an asset for immigrant minorities and for which outcomes? Think
about intergroup outcomes (e.g., prejudice and discrimination), performance
outcomes (e.g., school success) or psychological well-being (e.g., self-esteem)
 When is diversity an asset for host majorities and society at large? Think about
intergroup outcomes (e.g., prejudice, conflict), performance outcomes (e.g., school
success) or psychological well-being (e.g., self-esteem)
 What is missing? Think about a research question that addresses a gap in the literature
suggested here. Be specific. Think of how you can address this research question using
different methods:
o longitudinal (measuring long-term consequences or having repeated measures)
o multilevel (individuals in groups, schools, cities, countries)
o multi-group (analyzing complementary minority majority perspectives or
different minority/majority groups)
SELECTED READINGS
ACCULTURATION RESEARCH: MULTI-GROUP AND MULTI-LEVEL
PERSPECTIVES
ESSENTIAL READING: Phalet, K., Baysu, G., & van Acker, K. (2014). Ethnicity and
migration in Europe. International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (2nd
ed), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.24040-3.
I/ BENEFITS AND COSTS OF ‘INTEGRATION’: SCHOOL DIVERSITY AS AN
EXAMPLE (Gülseli BAYSU)
Berry, J. W & Sabatier, C. (2011). Variations in the assessment of acculturation attitudes:
Their relationships with psychological wellbeing. International Journal of Intercultural
Relations, 35, 658–669
ESSENTIAL READING: Nguyen, A.M., & Benet-Martínez, V. (2013). Biculturalism and
adjustment: A meta-analysis. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44, 122-159.
Brown, R., Baysu, G., Nigbur, D., Rutland, A., Watters, C., Cameron, L., Hossain, R.,
LeTouze, D., & Landau, A. (2013). Acculturation attitudes and social adjustment in ethnic
minority British children: a longitudinal study. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
39(12), 1656-1667
Baysu, G., Phalet, K., & Brown, R. (2011). ‘Dual’ Identity as a two edged sword: Identity
threat and minority school performance. Social Psychology Quarterly, 74(2): 121-143.
Wolfgramm, C., Morf, C. C. & Hannover, B. (2014). Ethnically based rejection sensitivity
and academic achievement: The danger of retracting into one’s heritage culture. European
Journal of Social Psychology. DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2018
II/ WHEN IS CULTURAL DIVERSITY (NOT) DIVISIVE? ISLAM IN EUROPE AS AN
EXAMPLE (Karen PHALET)
ESSENTIAL READING Verkuyten, M. & Martinovic, B. (2012). Immigrants’ National
Identification: Meanings, Determinants, and Consequences. Social Issues and Policy Review,
6(1), 82–112
Hopkins, N. (2011). Dual Identities and Their Recognition: Minority Group Members’
Perspectives. Political Psychology, 32 (2), 251-270.
Güngör, D., Fleischmann, F., Maliepaard, M. & Phalet, K. (2014). Religious acculturation.
European Psychologist. Special Issue on Multiculturalism (Editors: David Sam & John Berry)
Fleischmann, F., Phalet, K., & Klein, O (2011) Religious identification and politicization in
the face of discrimination: Support for political Islam and political action among the Turkish
and Moroccan second generation in Europe. British Journal of Social Psychology (2011), 50,
628–648
STATE OF THE ART IN ACCULTURATION RESEARCH: NEW DIRECTIONS
I/ COGNITIVE & AFFECTIVE ACCULTURATION: FROM ATTITUDES TO
PROCESSES
ESSENTIAL READING: Crisp, R. J. & Turner, R. N. (2011). Cognitive adaptation to the
experience of social and cultural diversity. Psychological Bulletin, 137, 242-266
Hong, Y., Morris, M., Chiu, C., & Benet-Martínez, V. (2000). Multicultural minds: A
dynamic constructivist approach to culture and cognition. American Psychologist, 55, 709720.
De Leersnyder, Jozefien, Mesquita, Batja & Kim, Heejung S. (2011). Where Do My
Emotions Belong? A Study of Immigrants' Emotional Acculturation. Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin 37: 451
II/ INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, SOCIETIES: ACCULTURATION IN CONTEXT
ESSENTIAL READING : Brown, R., Zagefka, H., 2011. The dynamics of acculturation: an
intergroup perspective. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology 44, 129–184.
Van Acker, K., Deleersnyder, J., Mesquita, B., & Phalet, K. (2014). Do “They” Threaten
“Us” or Do “We” Disrespect “Them”: Majority Perceptions of Intergroup Relations and
Everyday Contacts with Immigrant Minorities Group Processes and Intergroup Relations
Schlueter, E., Meuleman, B. & Davidov, E. (2013). Immigrant Integration policies and
perceived Group Threat: A Multilevel Study of 27 Western and Eastern European Countries.
Social Science Research 42, 670–682.
Guimond, S. et al (2013). Diversity Policy, Social Dominance, and Intergroup Relations:
Predicting Prejudice in Changing Social and Political Contexts. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 104 (6), 941–958.
III/ APPLIED IMPLICATIONS: MANAGING CULTURAL DIVERSITY
ESSENTIAL READING : Plaut, V. C. (2002). Cultural models of diversity: The psychology
of difference and inclusion. In R. Shweder, M. Minow, & H. R. Markus (Eds.), Engaging
cultural differences: The multicultural challenge in liberal democracies (pp. 365-395). New
York: Russell Sage Foundation Press.
Plaut, V. C., Thomas, K. M & Goren, M. J. (2009). Is Multiculturalism or Color Blindness
Better for Minorities. Psychological Science, 20(4), 444-446.
Meeussen et al (2014). Managing diversity: How leaders’ multiculturalism and colorblindness
affect work group functioning . Group Processes and Intergroup Relations.