What Makes Them Flourish? Acculturation and Socio-cultural Predictors of Adaptation among Sojourners in Mexico

Objective: The aim of the study was to analyse the relationship between acculturation and flourishing and to identify factors that lead to better adaptation of a very particular group of migrants – sojourners in Mexico. The study employed detailed measures of acculturation according to the RAEM model to verify that they are strong predictors of flourishing. Research Design & Methods: Flourishing refers to socio-psychological well-being and prosperity. A total of 363 sojourners (67% women) living in Mexico were surveyed. Linear regression analyses using the hierarchical-input method were performed. Findings: Age proved to be the strongest predictor of flourishing among the sojourners. The analysis showed that participant’s level of flourishing increased with the level of individualistic values, frequency of contact with compatriots, quality of contact with Mexicans, knowledge of the Spanish language, and age. Interestingly, acculturation variables were not significant predictors of the sojourner’s flourishing in this study. Implications / Recommendations: Organisations should support language training programmes and facilitate opportunities for quality intercultural contact for sojourners, while recognising that age-related factors may be more influential than traditional acculturation measures in determining adaptation outcomes. Contribution: The study extends the literature on acculturation to an often-overlooked type of migrants, sojourners in Mexico, and allowed us to obtain data on the predictors of their flourishing. Moreover, we focus on a particular measure of psychological well-being, as flourishing focuses on an individual’s self-perceived success in different areas of life.