Second-class citizens? Subjective social status, acculturative stress, and immigrant well-being

Abstract

AbstractThe effects of social hierarchy on well-being are pervasive. An individual’s social status within the hierarchy has been proposed to play a role in acculturative stress and psychological well-being. Subjective social status is a method of measuring social status that has not been examined in immigrants’ well-being. In an attempt to fill this gap in the literature, this study explored questions about immigrants’ well-being as they deal with acculturative stressors in the United States. In particular, the potential role of subjective social status (SSS) in the acculturative stress process was examined. Three hundred and five adult immigrants from over 68 countries were recruited. Overall, the results indicated a negative association between acculturative stress with quality of life, psychological well-being, and physical health. Regression analysis also indicated that subjective social status moderated this negative association. The results make the contribution that SSS is relevant to the association of acculturative stress and immigrant well-being.