Being adolescents in multicultural societies: intergroup contact, identities, and well-being across different life contexts

In multicultural societies, both adolescents with and without a migrant background navigate opportunities and challenges arising from cultural diversity. Adolescents with a migrant background face simultaneous developmental and acculturative tasks, while those without encounter typical developmental challenges alongside intergroup interactions. Understanding how adolescents experience multicultural contexts requires examining intergroup contact and its influence on key developmental domains. In line with this, the present dissertation investigates adolescents’ intergroup contact across structured (school) and unstructured (leisure) contexts. Chapter 1 outlines the theoretical framework, drawing on ecological systems theory and the transactional approach. Chapters 2 to 5 present empirical studies addressing adolescents’ family relationships, well-being, and social and personal identity development. Chapter 2 explores family influences on intergroup contact through intergenerational transmission process. Findings revealed that adolescents’ contact experiences influenced mothers’ negative contact over time, highlighting adolescents’ active role in shaping family dynamics. In addition, Chapter 3 examines the relationship between intergroup contact and sleep health, showing that adolescents’ social interactions directly affect their well-being across contexts.Furthermore, Chapter 4 focuses on adolescents with a migrant background, investigating how intergroup contact shapes bicultural identity integration and cross-context effects. Results emphasize the importance of leisure-time interactions in developing bicultural identity components. Lastly, Chapter 5 presents a meta-analysis of psychosocial interventions targeting identity, indicating that such interventions can positively influence personal, social, and ethnic identity development in adolescents, regardless of migrant background. The concluding chapter synthesizes findings, discussing theoretical and practical implications. Overall, the dissertation underscores the significance of considering adolescents’ intergroup contact within multiple ecological contexts, integrating developmental and acculturative perspectives. This approach highlights how multicultural experiences shape identity formation and well-being, providing insights for promoting positive adolescent development in diverse societies.