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Cultural Involvement and Preference in Immigrant Acculturation

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Abstract

Measures of cultural involvement (CI) and cultural preference (CP) incorporate Berry’s integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization outcomes, locating them at the ends of two axes suggested by Szapocznik et al. (International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 4 (3–4), 353–365, 1980) in a bidimensional space formed by origin culture and destination culture scales. Each measure combines information from both origin culture and destination culture scales, retains the continuous properties of these scales, connects two of the four-category acculturation outcomes, and has theoretical significance and potential comparability across studies of different immigrant populations. Together they offer a quantitative measure of variations in the structural relation between an immigrant group and its new destination culture, and should reveal new insights into the acculturation process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Demography & Population Health, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-2240, USA

    Elwood Carlson & Abdurrahim Güler

Authors
  1. Elwood Carlson
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  2. Abdurrahim Güler
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Correspondence to Elwood Carlson.

APPENDIX: Questions Adapted from Existing Scales to Measure Acculturation

APPENDIX: Questions Adapted from Existing Scales to Measure Acculturation

Origin (Turkish) Culture

  1. 1.

    I enjoy Turkish entertainment (e.g., movies, music).

  2. 2.

    I am interested in having Turkish friends.

  3. 3.

    I enjoy social activities with Turkish people.

  4. 4.

    I participate in Turkish cultural events.

  5. 5.

    I feel comfortable speaking Turkish.

  6. 6.

    My thinking is done in the Turkish language.

  7. 7.

    I have strong ties with the Turkish community.

  8. 8.

    I enjoy Turkish jokes and humor.

  9. 9.

    It is important to me to maintain the practices of Turkish culture.

  10. 10.

    I behave in ways that are “typically Turkish.”

  11. 11.

    I would be willing to marry a Turkish person (if single).

  12. 12.

    I enjoy Turkish food.

Destination (American) Culture

  1. 1.

    I enjoy American entertainment (e.g., movies, music).

  2. 2.

    I am interested in having American friends.

  3. 3.

    I enjoy social activities with American people.

  4. 4.

    I participate in American cultural events.

  5. 5.

    I feel comfortable speaking English.

  6. 6.

    My thinking is done in the English language.

  7. 7.

    I have strong ties with the American community.

  8. 8.

    I enjoy American jokes and humor.

  9. 9.

    It is important to me to maintain the practices of American culture.

  10. 10.

    I behave in ways that are “typically American.”

  11. 11.

    I would be willing to marry an American person (if single).

  12. 12.

    I enjoy American food.

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Carlson, E., Güler, A. Cultural Involvement and Preference in Immigrant Acculturation. Int. Migration & Integration 19, 625–647 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-018-0554-4

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