Introduction to Mobility, Migration, and Acculturation

Within a globalized world, resettling from one country to another has become more and more frequent (i.e., the number of immigrants is currently estimated at more than 190 Million worldwide by the United Nations), and not only in classical immigration countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia, and South American countries. Reasons for migration vary, and range from escaping from extremely adverse living circumstances such as war or persecution, to hopes for improving economic situations, to curiosity. At any rate, moving from one culture to another is a major life transition often accompanied by unique stressors (e.g., disruption of social ties) impacting on individuals’ developmental pathways. Within societies of high cultural diversity, issues relating to acculturation are of great importance. Receiving countries might support an assimilation of immigrants, accept a multi-cultural trend, or tolerate immigrants as distinct groups with high tendencies for segregation. Developmental research in the area of acculturation has been of particular interest in explaining how well immigrants adjust to the new context, and in identifying the factors that shape positive and negative developmental trajectories, in particular in young people. In addition, it has been suggested that the acculturation process is more difficult for migrants of certain backgrounds, ages, or religions. Research in this area can help to overcome negative stereotypes that are held against certain groups of immigrants, and can inform interventionists who are trying to improve the developmental pathways of people migrating from one cultural context to another.