Acculturazione, adattamento e status generazionale: L’esperienza di un gruppo di immigrati italiani in Belgio

Summary The aim of the present research is to describe the sources of stress present during the acculturation process of immigrants with different generational status and to investigate their current sociocultural and psychological adjustment. The participants are 17 Italian immigrants living in Belgium, who have been interviewed for the study. Data analysis suggests that second generation immigrants are exposed to a greater deal of stressors than first generation ones. First generation immigrants are more likely to have problems with the outgroup, while second generation immigrants find more difficulties in the relationship with the ingroup. The level of sociocultural adjustment is good for both groups. Some differences can be observed with regard to psychological adjustment.