SELF DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL RELATIONS IN MIGRATION PROCESS

Immigration involves children in a critical developmental process that could produce an Ego laceration (Cesari Lusso, 1997; Chinosi, 2002; Moro, 2002). These children in fact have a double cultural identity that reflect both their ethnic heritage and their membership to the wider community (Tafarodi et al., 2001). The present study aims to investigate the role of immigration in Self and interpersonal relations construction in a sample of 163 children (aged 7-12; μ =9; d.s.= 1,008). Our subjects were asked to: fill out The Children Self Perception Profile (Harter, 1989) and the Assessment of Interpersonal Relations (Braken, 1993); write down their life story (Confalonieri & Scaratti, 2000); draw themselves with a friend (Bombi & Pinto, 2000). Our data show that immigrant children are less coherent (t (92; 91.811)=7,29; p<0,05), have more difficulties in expressing their selves in a perceptual and qualitative way (t(92; 72,14)=0,275; p<0,05), use less social references (t(92; 90,49)=7,03; p<0,05); and have difficulties in placing themselves (t(92; 81.349)=0,13; p<0,05) than their Italian coeval. Concerning to relational issues, data show that children who arrived in Italy before the age of six are more social competent (χ2=10,96; gdl=4; p<0,05) than children immigrated later. Moreover, immigrant’s drawings show more difficulties in thinking themselves involved in a cooperative work with a friend (χ2=3,99; gdl=1; p<0,05) than Italian’s. In conclusion, migration, in particular if it happens after the age of six, seems to be a critical event that asks children a demanding work in self construction and in setting up positive social relations.