cculturation and social attitudes among majority children

Contemporary research emphasises the dynamic intergroup nature of acculturation processes involving both immigrants and nationals. Using data from a sample of 372 U.S. national children (aged 6–9 years), we examine the relationship between acculturation attitudes, conceptualized as desire for cultural maintenance and desire for intergroup contact between immigrants and nationals, and attitudes towards Somali immigrants (intended behaviour, prejudice, perceived norms and intergroup anxiety). Prosocial behaviours were highest among children who simultaneously endorsed cultural maintenance and intergroup contact attitudes. These findings and their implications are discussed. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Acculturation and social attitudes among majority children Meaningful shifts in immigration are occurring around the world. In the United States, although the number of individals granted lawful permanent residence or asylee status, admitted as refugees or as non-immigrants for a temporary tay (students or temporary workers) has remained relatively stable since the late 1980s, the group has changed in ts composition: the number of African and Asian immigrants granted permanent residence has almost doubled since 001, while the number of European immigrants has decreased almost by half (Rytina, 2010). In addition, approximately 1 million unauthorized immigrants were estimated to live in the United States in 2010, most of whom come from exico or South America (Hoefer, Rytina & Baker, 2010). Similar shifts have been seen in Europe, where England and rance, for instance, have experienced an increase in grants of settlement to non-European Economic Area Nationals ince the 1990s (Institute National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques, 2008; U.K. Border Agency Home Office, 011). These changes in societal composition have begun and will continue to prompt public debate. Whereas previous waves f immigration more likely brought newcomers who were phenotypically, religiously or linguistically similar to existing ationals; modern immigration does so less often. This poses key challenges for modern immigrants and nationals who face mportant questions about what immigrants should do when they arrive in their new homes: Should they maintain cultural ies? Adopt the values norms and beliefs of their new society through the development of intergroup relationships? Should hey do both or possibly neither? Although both immigrants and nationals must consider these acculturative questions Berry, 1997, 2003), research has tended to focus on how immigrants resolve them and the consequences of these decisions This work was conducted with support from the Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues and the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, ates College. ∗ Corresponding author at: Department of Psychology, Bates College, 4 Andrews Road, Lewiston, ME 04240, United States. Tel. : +1 207 786 6088; ax: +1 207 786 8338. E-mail address: karonson@bates.edu (K.M. Aronson). 147-1767/$ – see front matter © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. ttp://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.ijintrel. 2013.02. 004 314 K.M. Aronson, R. Brown / International Journal of Intercultural Relations 37 (2013) 313– 322 (Graves, 1967). Yet, the attitudes and expectations that non-immigrants develop about cultural maintenance and contact may well set the tone for intergroup relations, delineating whether and how immigrants will be welcomed (Berry & Kalin, 1995), thereby affecting the choices that they make (Neto, 2002; Lindert, Korzilius, van de Vijver, Kroon & Arendt-Toth, 2008; Zagefka & Brown, 2002). Similarly, most research has focused on adolescents and adults, neglecting to consider national children, which is interesting since it is likely that children have to navigate the same challenges as adults as they adapt to the changes brought on by immigration (Brown & Zagefka, 2011). The current project furthers our understanding of the intergroup nature of acculturation by considering acculturation during early childhood (6–10 years), exploring the relationship between acculturative attitudes among non-immigrant children in the United States and their intended behaviours, feelings of prejudice and perceptions of normative behaviour towards Somali immigrant children, as well as their levels of intergroup anxiety. As non-immigrant children are larger in number than Somali immigrant children in the community in which the current research was conducted, they are referred to as the majority group within the following narrative.