Acculturation preferences, conflict and cultural enrichment on secondary education in Western Catalonia

Purpose Located in Western Catalonia (Spain), the article’s aim is to analyse the acculturation preferences of majority group high-school students towards their peers of Moroccan and Romanian descent. Furthermore, it aims to delve deeper into the influence on the perception of conflict with these groups mediated by cultural enrichment. Design/methodology/approach The data are the result of conducting a questionnaire among 349 autochthonous students enrolled in Compulsory Secondary Education in Catalonia. The data have been analyzed using cluster analysis, ANOVA and mediation analysis. Findings The findings show that a small number of high-school students construct integration acculturation preferences towards Moroccans and Romanians, while the majority of the preferences are of assimilation or segregation. In addition, the perceived conflict is higher for Moroccans than Romanians, and the cultural enrichment is higher for Romanians than for Moroccans. Finally, there is a low mediating effect of cultural enrichment on the relationship between acculturation preferences and degree of conflict. Originality/value The relevance and originality of this article stems from the application of acculturation theory on the construction of acculturation preferences in the educational domain. Additionally, it is a context characterized by an exceptional cultural and linguistic diversity. Furthermore, acculturation preferences, perceived degree of conflict and perceived cultural enrichment are analyzed comparatively regarding descendants of Moroccans and Romanians. This approach has scarcely been used at an international level, and practically never at the Spanish and Catalan level.