Os efeitos da aculturação no vaivém da emigração continental: um estudo de caso em Melgaço

Abstract

The research focuses on the melgacense emigration since mid-twentieth century and the sociocultural differences between melgacenses with emigration experiences and the residents, which resulted in a social conflict between both groups. The melgacenses with emigration experiences perceive the existence of a sociocultural separation towards melgacenses without emigration experience: the residents. The sociocultural differentiation is revealed through the acculturation on the second language use, in the “French house” construction and in the economic ostentation. In the use of the foreign language the subjects with emigration experiences perceive themselves as object of acculturation. However on the attribution to this situation they do not see themselves as part of the social tensions, giving relevance to relational factors. In the “French house” issue, they not give too much relevance to labour acculturation. However, it is valorised by key informants and by their professions in the host space and by the education level. In Melgaço to emigrate still means moving up to a better social status. And, in fact, the research subjects with emigration experiences perceive themselves as moving up. The residents behaviour is perceived due envy and not as a redefinition of social positions or by objective conditions grounded on both spaces. Besides, they do not perceive themselves as a source of social tensions; only females, the youngest and the research subjects with university degrees perceive it with more intensity. In spite of relative improvement on live conditions, the economic improvement does not seems to have positive effects; there is a faint technical/professional improve, a decrease of remittances, the investment is done in the host country and the human and the physical desertification are increasing. Therefore, the relation between both spaces is asymmetric, but acculturation is not perceive as a social problem.