Open AccessAttachment Style, Mother Tongue Proficiency and Sociocultural Identity Amongst Second and Third Generation South Asian Immigrants in Hong Kong
Author(s) -
Kulwinder Kaur Dhaliwal,
Laura A. Cariola
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
language and psychoanalysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2049-324X
DOI - 10.7565/landp.v10i1.5475
Subject(s) - acculturation , sociocultural evolution , immigration , ethnic group , psychology , first language , style (visual arts) , developmental psychology , identity (music) , cultural identity , life satisfaction , language proficiency , social psychology , gender studies , medicine , sociology , political science , geography , anthropology , physics , feeling , archaeology , pathology , acoustics , pedagogy , law
This study examined the relationship between attachment style, mother tongue (L1) and dominant language (DL) proficiency, sociocultural identification with the culture of origin, and life satisfaction amongst second-generation and third-generation South Asian immigrants in Hong Kong. Participants included 69 women and 28 men who were permanent residents of South Asian ethnicity, and who had grown up in Hong Kong. The results identified significant associations between attachment insecurity and L1 and DL proficiency, as well as commitment to the origin culture. There was a positive association between life satisfaction and commitment levels to origin culture, indicating that high commitment levels to origin culture tend to coexist with high life satisfaction. This study adds to the existing literature with a focus on language skills, attachment and acculturation in immigrant populations.