Behavioral Problems of Adolescents from Returned Portuguese Immigrant Families (Report‪)‬

Given the ethnic diversity in our world today, the concept of acculturation has become increasingly important. Acculturation is the phenomenon of attitudinal, value, and behavioral changes of individuals who come into continuous contact with another culture (Redfield, Linton & Herskovits, 1936). The criterion for acculturation is the presence of bicultural influences, regardless of the relative strengths of the two cultures. Thus, one possible scenario is in an immigrant setting, where a person migrates into another culture. Another possible scenario is in a society of origin setting, where a migrant returns. Although there is a growing body of research on acculturation in immigrant settings, society-of-origin settings have not received much research attention (Martin, 1984; Tamura & Furnham, 1993; Ward, Bochner, & Furnham, 2001). In this paper we seek to deepen understanding of return migration by undertaking an analysis of behavioral problems among Portuguese adolescents with immigrant families returned from France. Adaptation, varying from well-adapted to maladapted, is the long term outcome of psychological acculturation (Berry, 1997). Ward and colleagues have distinguished between two components of adaptation. Psychological adaptation refers to psychological well-being or good mental health and satisfaction in a new cultural context, whereas sociocultural adaptation relates to learning new social skills to interact within the new culture, dealing with daily problems of living, and effective carrying out of tasks (Ward et al., 2001). In this study, we will examine failed attempts at one kind of sociocultural adaptation: behavioral problems.