Radosveta Dimitrova

The Immigrant Child: Psychological and Socio-cultural Adjustment to the Italian Host Culture Radosveta Dimitrova

Immigration to Italy is a relevant social phenomenon with immigrant families and their children representing a growing component of the resident population, but little research has been dedicated on their adaptation outcomes. The present book contributes to this direction by providing data on psychological (emotional well-being) and socio- cultural (socially appropriate interactive skills) adjustment in immigrant children and their parents in North Italy, a region characterized by different ethnic communities - immigrant (Albanians and Serbians) and native (Italian majority and Slovene minority). Drawing on most widely applied models of adjustment in cross-cultural transition, the main findings indicate that immigrant children and parents display more problematic adaptation patterns compared to the natives. The relevance of these results can be seen in both theoretical and applied research approaches - by providing a deeper insight into the problems experienced by immigrants in Italy and by facilitating interventions assisting immigrant families in adjusting to their new country of settlement.