Cultural identity and school characteristics of Portuguese pupils in Switzerland

Abstract

In this article, we study the relationship between the cultural identity and certain personal, familial and school characteristics of Portuguese pupils finishing their obligatory school in Switzerland (canton of Vaud). The cultural identity is assessed with an adaptation of Berry’s acculturation scale. The results show that the pupils have a tendency to very clearly preserve their Portuguese culture, while integrating the Swiss culture in the same time (attitude clearly pro-integration). Moreover, they are against a rejection of the Swiss culture (attitude clearly anti-separation) or of the Portuguese culture (attitude slightly anti-assimilation). However, in function of certain personal (sex, date of arrival in Switzerland), familial (type of mother’s work permit), and school (resetting of years, general level of school success, attendence of the civilisation and language Portuguese courses) characteristics, there is a significant bending of certain of this attitudes and in particular of the pro-integration attitude. These results are discussed from the point of view of both their school and political implications (danger of school and social marginalisation).