Migration and Identity Configuration. The Role of Consumption in the Process of Cultural Integration

Migrating people face a series of challenges, including identity reconfiguration\r\nand integration in the new destination country. In the postmodern\r\nera, migrants are increasingly using consumption as a way of negotiating\r\ntheir identity. Although the relationship between consumption\r\nand identity construction is well established in psychological literature,\r\ntheir role in fostering cultural integration is less explored. The present\r\nstudy therefore intends to investigate the role of consumption choices\r\nand strategies in the acculturation process of some ethnic minorities in\r\nthe Italian context. To answer this question, a survey was conducted on\r\na representative sample of foreigners permanently included in the Italian\r\nsocio-economic context, with the aim of collecting information on their\r\npractices and consumption habits in different product sectors. Constructs\r\nof identity affiliation and acculturation orientation have also been\r\ninvestigated to understand if and to what extent different consumption\r\npractices can favour the process of cultural integration.