Holding Complexity: Psychological Flexibility and Cultural Identity in a Superdiverse Urban Context

Acculturation, traditionally described as the adjustment to new cultural realities, faces major conceptual challenges in superdiverse societies where defining "heritage" and "mainstream" cultures is increasingly problematic. This study proposes expanding cultural identity frameworks to include belonging to one's living place, emphasizing the ecological significance of place-people relationships in identity formation. We apply this approach to a highly diverse urban context, examining how individuals from both majority and minority backgrounds construct multicultural identities across local, regional, and national levels. A community sample (N = 276) completed measures of cultural identification, psychological flexibility, discrimination, and well-being. Latent class regression revealed four distinct identity profiles: High contextual identification, Low contextual identification, Quebec focus and Montreal focus. Contrary to expectations, the most prevalent profile reflected strong local attachment rather than robust endorsement of multiple cultural levels. Psychological flexibility predicted membership in the High contextual identification profile above and beyond well-being and ambient discrimination, while minority status and perceived discrimination were associated with locally focused profile. These findings underscore the importance of place identity and psychological flexibility in acculturation processes, offering a broader and more context-sensitive account of multicultural belonging in superdiverse societies.