THE ACCULTURATION OF ITALIAN IMMIGRANT GIRLS IN CANADA

Several measures of acculturation reveal that Italian immigrant girls in Canada are exposed to a higher level of role specialization than non-immigrant girls. They are granted less autonomy in decision making than non-immigrant girls or Italian immigrant boys. After the first few years of North American residence immigrant girls are given more responsibility within the home. Their demands for greater autonomy outside the home are however not likely to be recognized until the second generation. The results are interpreted in terms of the female's greater salience in maintaining traditional family culture which is felt to be threatened by migration to North America.