{"title":"Major life events and acculturation trajectories of refugees: The example of divorced Syrian refugees in Germany","authors":"Ahmad Al Ajlan","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102300","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102300","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines how divorce, as a major life event, influences the acculturation trajectories of Syrian refugee men and women in Germany. Using qualitative interviews with 34 participants, it explores the impact of divorce on three key dimensions of acculturation: social identification, religious identity, and attitudes toward host country family laws. Thematic analysis reveals notable gendered variations in acculturation strategies: men predominantly adopt separation or marginalization strategies, perceiving German family law as undermining their authority, while women pursue integration or assimilation, viewing legal frameworks as avenues for empowerment. This study extends John Berry’s acculturation model by introducing major life events as a critical, yet previously underexplored, dimension in shaping acculturation strategies. It emphasizes that personal transitions, such as divorce, can significantly influence acculturation processes, either accelerating or hindering adaptation. By linking divorce with broader acculturation dynamics, the study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how personal and sociocultural factors interact in the migration experience. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions, including legal literacy programs and culturally sensitive counselling, to support refugees navigating post-divorce transitions within the host society. This research calls for further exploration of how life events interact with cultural contexts to influence the acculturation of refugee populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"109 ","pages":"Article 102300"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145158390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Factors predicting multicultural acceptance among multicultural adolescents in South Korea: A latent growth model and growth mixture model approach","authors":"Jin-ho An , Haelim Lee , Haejeong Jeong","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102275","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102275","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite the increase in international marriages in South Korea, adolescents from multicultural families often face social exclusion, leading to psychological challenges. Yet, research on how they perceive multicultural acceptance and what factors predict their attitudes over developmental stages is limited. Therefore, this study aims to address individual changes and trajectories of group changes in multicultural acceptance. The Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (Waves 4–6) by the National Youth Policy Institute in South Korea (N = 1193, 7–9th Grade) was utilized. Adolescents were identified as those with a Korean father and a foreign-national immigrant mother. Descriptive statistics, the Latent Growth Model (LGM), and Growth Mixture Modeling (GMM) were performed to assess distinct profiles of multicultural acceptance. Logistic regression was used to examine predictive factors related to multicultural acceptance. The LGM results showed a trend of increasing multicultural acceptance with individual differences. The GMM results indicated the best fit with three profiles of multicultural acceptance: <em>Increasing</em> (29.3 %), <em>Maintaining</em> (65.4 %), and <em>Decreasing</em> (5.4 %). The logistic regression results showed that adolescents in the <em>Decreasing</em> class who reported higher life satisfaction and better school adjustment were more likely to transition to the <em>Increasing</em> class. Higher self-esteem, better school adjustment, and maternal self-esteem were associated with an increased likelihood of moving to the <em>Increasing</em> class in the <em>Maintaining</em> class. Interventions targeting these predictive factors are needed to increase multicultural acceptance among multicultural adolescents. Human services professionals may employ these findings to implement family functioning and school-based mental health programs promoting multicultural acceptance and boosting self-esteem.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"109 ","pages":"Article 102275"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144926787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring the relationships between international extracurricular activities and the intercultural competence of Chinese domestic university students","authors":"Xiaoqing Wang , Jie Huang , Hongbiao Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102303","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102303","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Some Chinese domestic universities with high international reputation and educational capabilities offer students distinctive internationalization at home experiences through international extracurricular activities. The research explored the relationships between these international extracurricular activities and Chinese domestic university students’ intercultural competence. A sample of 2633 Chinese students from three “Double First-Class” universities participated in the study. The results showed that the two types of international extracurricular activities (e.g., extracurricular foreign language learning and club activities) had significant relationships with students’ intercultural competence. Cultural and artistic activities amplified the positive relationship between extracurricular foreign language learning and students’ foreign culture knowledge, intercultural skills and outcomes. Moreover, there were group differences in the relationships between the international extracurricular activities and students’ intercultural competence. These findings have some implications for improving the international extracurricular activities for domestic students in Chinese universities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"109 ","pages":"Article 102303"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145220728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Navigating parenthood in a new culture: The experiences of Syrian migrant families in Türkiye","authors":"İmran Çağlayan, Meral Taner Derman","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102314","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102314","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This qualitative study explores the parenting experiences of Syrian migrant families raising their children within a new sociocultural context. Based on individual and focus group interviews with 22 Syrian parents living in Türkiye, the data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings reveal that Syrian migrant families’ child-rearing goals and practices are shaped by religious beliefs and collectivist values. The transformative effects of acculturation on parenting are seen in the reshaping of parents' conceptions of family size, increased involvement in childcare and education, and changes in traditional gender norms. The study also highlights the domain-specific nature of acculturation, demonstrating that adaptation does not occur uniformly across all life domains. Structural barriers, including legal insecurity, economic hardship, and experiences of exclusion, constrain integration, whereas diverse social networks facilitate their adaptation. Religion plays a dual role, fostering a sense of belonging through shared faith with the host society while sometimes limiting broader cultural adaptation and social cohesion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"109 ","pages":"Article 102314"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145324766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding attitudes toward honor killing: The roles of gender, cultural identity, and personality traits in druze society- brief report","authors":"Vered Ne'eman-Haviv , Rola Saleh","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102301","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102301","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examined attitudes toward honor killing among members of the Druze community in Israel, focusing on the roles of gender, cultural identification, and two personality traits—aggression and jealousy. Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 305 Druze participants and analyzed using moderation models. Findings revealed that gender differences in attitudes appeared only among younger participants, primarily due to more negative attitudes among younger women. This may reflect shifting social norms, such as increased access to education and employment. Although cultural identification was positively associated with support for honor killing, this relationship was significant only among participants with high levels of aggression. No moderating effect was found for jealousy. These results highlight the unique role of aggression in reinforcing culturally supported violent norms, while suggesting that jealousy—a known risk factor in intimate partner violence—may be less relevant in culturally sanctioned acts like honor killing. This study highlights the need to integrate cultural and psychological perspectives, and suggests evolving gender dynamics within Druze society.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"109 ","pages":"Article 102301"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145220731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring pull migration drivers to the European Union: A systematic literature review and future research agenda","authors":"Vilmantė Kumpikaitė-Valiūnienė , Ineta Žičkutė-Daugelavičienė , Ewa Glińska , Ewa Rollnik-Sadowska , Audra I. Mockaitis","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102296","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102296","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although migration research has frequently centred on particular sending countries or migrant groups, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding of the diverse conditions that attract migrants to the European Union (EU). This study aims to synthesise and structure scientific articles on migration pull drivers to the EU and to outline a future research agenda to address prevailing gaps. A hybrid domain-based literature review was conducted by integrating bibliometric and structured reviews, spanning publications from 2004 to 2023 to identify and classify migration drivers. Nearly 150 migration pull drivers were identified and classified into three levels. The reviewed literature mentioned economic factors, particularly job opportunities, as the most frequent pull drivers at macro level. Political stability and favourable migration policies significantly attract migrants. Social networks and education systems are important social drivers, while environmental drivers, although less frequently mentioned, include ecological safety and climate conditions. Meso-level drivers emphasise career development and training opportunities, reflecting migrants’ desire to improve their professional skills and job satisfaction. Micro-level drivers underline the significance of personal fulfilment, family reasons, and financial gains. This study contributes to the migration literature by not only identifying a wide range of pull factors but also systematically evaluating frequency of their appearance in the scientific literature, thus offering a clearer view of which drivers are most emphasized and potentially most influential in migration decisions to the EU. The study also identifies calls for future studies to adopt a more comprehensive approach, including mixed methods and a broader geographical scope.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"109 ","pages":"Article 102296"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145096220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nigar G. Khawaja , Aparna Hebbani , Agata Vitale , Sina Rejali
{"title":"Marital satisfaction of South Asian migrants settled in Australia","authors":"Nigar G. Khawaja , Aparna Hebbani , Agata Vitale , Sina Rejali","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102277","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102277","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>South Asian married migrants (N = 191), settled in Australia, completed online measures and open-ended questions about their demographics and marital satisfaction. Data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Logical hierarchical regression indicated that women had lower levels of marital satisfaction, while an increase in the number of, education, full-time employment, as well as self-reported ‘good’ relationship with their spouse, increased marital satisfaction. The qualitative findings endorsed having a happy and gratifying relationship and communication with spouse, support from extended families, participation in cultural and community activities, and cultural and religious beliefs, as facilitators of high marital satisfaction. Marital satisfaction was negatively impacted by restrictive socio-cultural norms, patriarchy and gendered roles/responsibilities, interference by extended family, poor communication skills, and spousal conflicts over varying needs, expectations, and views. The findings address gaps in literature and assist in developing appropriate services and policies to support South Asian migrants settled in Western countries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"109 ","pages":"Article 102277"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144921380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Humility in context: Insights from eastern and western research","authors":"Hyunji Kim , Doil Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102293","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102293","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Humility is a multifaceted psychological construct that has been widely discussed in East Asian and Western philosophy and the social sciences. However, empirical psychological research, especially outside of Western contexts, remains limited. While humility is often associated with traits such as accurate self-perception, unselfishness, and openness to one's limitations, these features primarily reflect Western interpretations. This review explores how humility has been defined and measured in psychological research, particularly within the Western context, by analyzing existing humility scales and their operationalization of the construct. Then, by drawing on a recent lay theory study conducted in South Korea, we compare culturally grounded understandings of humility and identify domains that are either underrepresented or absent in existing Western models. We further integrate insights from East Asian philosophical traditions, particularly Confucianism, to highlight culturally grounded or underrepresented dimensions of humility, such as propriety and self-lowering. These findings underscore the need for a more culturally expanded and context-sensitive conceptualization of humility and offer directions for future research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"109 ","pages":"Article 102293"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145118591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Adult attachment and well-being in the wake of collective trauma: Evidence from the October 7 terror attack in Israel","authors":"Alon Goldberg","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102299","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102299","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the wake of mass trauma, individual differences in attachment orientation may shape well-being. This study examines how attachment anxiety and avoidance may have predicted well-being in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel, a nationally traumatic event with ongoing war-related stressors. Participants were 390 Israeli adults who completed self-report questionnaires in two phases. First, they completed the Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structures Questionnaire (ECR-RS) and the Mental Health Continuum Short Form. Then they were asked to report their emotional responses (PANAS) while listening to a culturally meaningful song related to the trauma. Results showed that attachment anxiety was not associated with well-being, but it was associated with higher levels of both positive and negative affect following exposure to a song with emotional resonance to the trauma. Attachment avoidance was associated with lower well-being and lower levels of positive affect to the song. Findings suggest that collective social responses (e.g., national solidarity) may buffer distress in anxious individuals, but not in avoidant individuals. Implications for trauma-informed care and tailored interventions are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"109 ","pages":"Article 102299"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145118592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Prediction of societal resilience components in a protracted war","authors":"Shaul Kimhi , Hadas Marciano , Yohanan Eshel , Arielle Kaim , Bruria Adini","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102273","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102273","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The current study examines an existing scale for measuring societal resilience for two objectives: first, to explore and verify, using factor analysis, the classification of the tool into varied factors. Second, to examine which psychological, demographic variables, and political preferences, controlling for each other, significantly predict each factor. The study consisted of 957 adult Hebrew-speaking Israelis sampled using an Internet panel company. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated four distinct factors, each predicted significantly by different scales. The factors are (a) 'Trust in the government and its leader' (five items), (b) 'Social integration' (four items), (c) 'Attachment to the country' (four items), and (d) 'Trust in the state institutions' (two items). Path Analysis indicated that six scales significantly predicted at least one of the four factors (presented by level of factor loading): Trust in the government and its leader was predicted by government support, community resilience, hope, and religiosity. Hope, community resilience, and government support predicted attachment to the country. Hope, government support, a sense of danger, age, and community resilience predicted social integration. Trust in state institutions was predicted by government support, religiosity, community resilience, and age. The article offers possible explanations for these findings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"109 ","pages":"Article 102273"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144921379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}