Host community acculturation process: Social distance and emotion

The aim of this study was to analyze the strategies of acculturation of the host community, to measure the social distance that Italians feel towards some ethnic minority groups, in order to identify the presence or absence of a shared ethnic hierarchy in the Italian context. Furthermore, the study also aimed to investigate the influence of the affective dimension and of the acculturation strategy in Italians perception of the cultural diversity groups. A self-report questionnaire was administered to 316 Italian participants. The data confirm the existence of an ethnic hierarchy and the association between social distance, positive emotions toward the out-group and acculturation strategies. The ethnic orientation of the participants is significantly more positive in subjects with a higher level of education.