Effects of Basic Human Values on Host Community Acculturation Orientations

Although literature provides evidence for the relationship between values and acculturation, the relationship between host community acculturation orientations has not yet been investigated. In this study wetested the effects of four high-order values (openness to change, self-transcendence, conservation, and self-enhancement, devised according to Schwartz’s model) on host community acculturation orientations towards immigrants (devised according the interactive acculturation model) in the public domain of employment andthe private domain of endogamy/exogamy. Participants were 264 Italian University students, who completed a questionnaire containing the Portrait Values Questionnaire, a measure of personal values, and the HostCommunity Acculturation Scale, aimed at measuring Italian acculturation strategies towards three groups of immigrants: Immigrants (the general category), Chinese (the valued immigrant group), and Albanians (thedevalued immigrant group). Results showed that personal values are related to the adoption of acculturationorientations: In particular, the values that mostly impacted on acculturation orientations were self-transcendence and conservation. Values concerning self-transcendence encourage the adoption of integrationism, integrationism–transformation, and individualism and reduce the adoption of assimilationism, segregationism, andexclusionism. Values concerning conservation encourage the adoption of assimilation, segregation and exclusion orientations and reduce the adoption of both types of integrationism and individualism. Minor effects were found regarding self-enhancement and openness to change.