Identity development processes and socio-cultural contexts. A study with second generation adolescents

The increasing presence of second-generation adolescents should impose a reflection on acculturation (Redfield, Linton & Herskovitz, 1936; Liebkind, 2001) and on identity development processes. The first concept refers to that bidirectional change that occurs when two different ethno-cultural groups come into prolonged contact, influencing each other and leading to cultural changes that involve individuals, groups and socio-cultural contexts. Regarding identity, a relevant question is related to social identity (Tajfel, 1981) as the self-image that derives from group belonging, combined with the value and the emotional meaning associated with that membership. Indeed, the second generation’s cultural systems of reference may represent very different realities: from those to which they feel suspended (Baumann, 1999) to foundations upon which they could develop models of biculturalism (Hong, Morris, Chiu, & Benet-Martinez, 2000). In this framework, the aim of our study was to explore the attitudes that a sample of second generation adolescents has on: integration processes; the culture of origin; the Italian culture. Our hypothesis is that these representations are affected by the specific socio-cultural context in which the subjects of the sample live. Specifically, we compared a city in northern Italy (which would seem characterized by a substantial institutional opening to the recognition of the regular immigrants’ civil rights and for critical social relationships) to a Sicilian town (which would seem characterized by the positive relationships between immigrants and natives and by an inadequate institutional interest towards immigrants). Results seem to delineate an articulated framework oriented to biculturalism and dual membership. The data also seems to confirm our hypothesis concerning the influence of the socio-cultural life context.