| Abstract | Acculturation is the process of cultural and psychological change that occurs when culturally distinct individuals or groups come into contact. This construct has been researched since the 1880s, and over this time, researchers have established evidence of the importance of acculturation in immigrant and refugee/asylum seekers’ resettlement within their new/host countries, and how acculturation has the potential to be protective against a range of social and psychological stressors.
In recent years, there has been increased discourse within politics, media, and research regarding African migrants’ settlement in Australia. However, despite the increased interest in African migrants’ settlement, research focused on exploring the relationship between acculturation and education outcomes and experiences of African migrants and African Australians has been scarce. Therefore, the primary aim of this thesis was to explore the relationship between acculturation and educational, psychological, physical, and sociocultural outcomes and experiences for African migrants and African Australians, with a focus placed on these outcomes and experiences for African migrants and African Australians in the Australian tertiary education context.
To explore this aim, four empirical studies using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods explored African migrants and African Australians' acculturation experiences. Empirical Phase 1 of this thesis contained the quantitative analysis (meta-analysis [k = 113 studies; Ntotal = 48,952 participants] and survey-based study [n = 179]), which identified the differing roles of host culture adoption and home culture maintenance in relation to various outcomes of African migrants. The survey provided evidence of the alignment of African migrants' actual and desired acculturation within the Australian tertiary education environment and both the meta-analysis and survey highlighted the relationship between maintenance of home culture and experiences of discrimination. Additionally, the meta-analysis evidenced a major gap within the quantitative literature, identifying limited literature focused on the relationship between acculturation and education outcomes of African migrants. As such, the exploration of acculturation and education was the focus of the second half of this thesis.
Education is a fundamental human right and is one of the 17 sustainability goals raised by the UN to be addressed by 2030. Education and education environments play vital roles in migrants’ resettlement. Education itself has been found to be an outcome of acculturation, while educational institutions introduce migrants to the new culture. Thus, Empirical Phase 2 (systematic review and meta-synthesis [k = 25 studies; Ntotal = 511 participants], and interview-based study [n = 10]), further explored the relationship between acculturation and education for African migrants and African Australians within the qualitative literature. Empirical Phase 2 supported findings identified in Empirical Phase 1, further demonstrating the important, yet differential influences that host culture adoption and home culture maintenance play in the education experiences of African migrants and African Australians. Furthermore, the systematic review evidenced the gap in the qualitative literature focused on the acculturation and tertiary education experiences of African migrants in Australia, and the interview-based study demonstrated the hindering influence of discrimination on both acculturation and tertiary education experiences for African migrants and African Australians. Finally, both Empirical Phases 1 and 2 highlighted limitations within the existing acculturation literature, particularly issues regarding the current ways in which acculturation is measured (e.g., extensive use of proxy measures).
Taken together, these findings provide strong evidence for the vital role that both host culture adoption and home culture maintenance have in the outcomes and experiences of African migrants and African Australians, particularly in terms of their tertiary education outcomes and experiences. Finally, the findings demonstrate the delicate balance of cultures that occurs during the acculturation process and participation in tertiary education. Findings from this thesis have implications for acculturation theory (including measurement and research) and education and migration policy and practices. |
|---|