Glossary

🔠 A

Psychosocial Support

A comprehensive form of support provided by a professional to an individual or family to address their psychological, social, economic, and cultural needs. This support aims to strengthen personal resources, mobilize support networks, promote daily autonomy, and prevent worsening difficulties by maintaining family cohesion.

Acculturation

The process by which a person adopts certain aspects of the host culture while maintaining elements of their culture of origin.

Intercultural Adaptation

A gradual adjustment process to a new culture, which may involve changes in behavior, values, daily habits, or communication.

Cultural Anxiety

A feeling of discomfort or stress when faced with significant cultural differences, especially in the context of migration. It also includes fears related to misunderstanding social codes, norms, and expectations of the host society.

Assimilation

A process through which a person or minority group gradually adopts the values, norms, and behaviors of the host society, sometimes at the expense of their own cultural background. This may lead to a gradual loss of original cultural elements, impacting the sense of belonging and personal or family identity.

🔠 B

Family Well-being

A balanced state in which each family member feels heard, supported, and respected. It relies on positive interactions, open communication, and the ability to resolve conflicts constructively. In migratory contexts, this balance may be challenged by additional economic, cultural, or emotional pressures.

🔠 C

Family Coaching

Personalized support aimed at strengthening family bonds and overcoming challenges. It may include practical tools to improve communication, manage tensions, or adapt to a new cultural context.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC)

A communication method based on active listening, mutual respect, emotional expression, and clear requests to prevent conflicts.

Loyalty Conflict

An internal tension experienced when a child or adult feels caught between two cultures, values, or allegiances—often between their family's expectations and those of the host society. Such tensions can negatively affect academic or professional performance, making appropriate support essential.

Identity Crisis

A profound questioning of one's personal or cultural identity, often experienced during migration or integration.

🔠 D

Asylum Seeker

A person who has fled their country of origin and applied for international protection (asylum) in another country, but whose application has not yet been definitively decided by the relevant authorities. 

Cultural Denial

Refusal or minimization of cultural differences, sometimes driven by a desire to integrate quickly or by a lack of understanding of the host context. This can lead to loss of cultural bearings, intra-family tensions, or erasure of cultural identity.

Family Dialogue

Open, respectful, and caring communication that strengthens trust and creates a safe space for everyone to express needs and emotions.

🔠 E

Empowerment

A process that enables individuals or families to regain control over their lives, develop their skills, and make informed choices.

Family Burnout

Collective fatigue from repeated challenges such as social isolation, economic hardship, or immigration-related stress. It can affect family dynamics and members’ ability to support one another.

Social Exclusion

A state of isolation or marginalization due to cultural, linguistic, or administrative barriers preventing full participation in society.

🔠 F

Blended Family

A family structure made up of members from different households, sometimes in a migratory context or following a separation.

Parenting Workshops

Practical sessions to strengthen parenting skills, including emotional regulation, positive discipline, or intergenerational communication. These workshops consider cultural differences and migration-related realities.

Generational Gap

A divide in culture and values between generations within the same family, often intensified in migration contexts. It may also include significant differences in technology use or parenting styles between the culture of origin and that of the host country.

🔠 G

Cultural Grief

A feeling of loss or nostalgia related to being far from one's home country, cultural landmarks, language, or traditions. This mourning may be individual or collective and can affect family and social relationships.

🔠 I

Immigration

The process of settling in a new country, accompanied by emotional, social, linguistic, and sometimes identity-related challenges.

Social Invisibility

A feeling of being ignored, unrecognized, or underrepresented in society. Over time, this may lead to a loss of self-confidence, social disengagement, and increased marginalization.

Social Integration

Active participation of individuals or families in the host society's life, including access to services, the labor market, education, and social networks. It does not imply cultural assimilation but rather inclusion within social and institutional structures.

Successful Integration

The ability of a person or family to find a balance between their culture of origin and that of the host country, while accessing their rights and participating in social life.

Psychological Intervention

Professional support to address specific issues (trauma, anxiety, grief, etc.) adapted to each person's cultural and family realities.

🔠 M

Cultural Mediation

An intervention that facilitates communication and understanding between people of different cultures, especially in institutional or family settings. It also helps resolve misunderstandings with public or educational services.

Collective Memory

A set of shared memories and traditions that shape a group or community's cultural identity.

Forced Migration Involuntary displacement due to conflict, disasters, or persecution. These situations often cause significant stress and trauma.

🔠 P

Transnational Parenting

Parenting that takes place across borders due to migration, requiring specific strategies to maintain emotional connections.

Administrative Precariousness

An unstable legal status that limits access to rights, healthcare, or essential services.

🔠 R

Refugee

A person forced to leave their country of origin due to a well-founded fear of persecution, widespread violence, or other serious circumstances, and who cannot or does not want to seek protection from their home country. 

Support Network

A group of people and resources (friends, organizations, professionals) that provide emotional, practical, or social help to an individual or family. It plays a key role in preventing isolation and strengthening resilience.

Community Resources

Services and initiatives available in the community to meet families’ material, social, or cultural needs.

🔠 S

Family Solidarity

Moral, emotional, or material support among family members—essential during migration journeys and adaptation periods. It relies on cooperation, communication, and mutual commitment and can be strengthened through targeted interventions.

Stigmatization

Negative judgment or labeling of a person or group, often based on origin, migration status, or cultural differences.

🔠 T

Migration-related Trauma

Psychological suffering related to experiences before, during, or after migration: violence, family separation, loss, uprooting. It may manifest as anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, etc., and requires appropriate care.

🔠 V

Cultural Values

Shared beliefs and practices that influence behavior, parenting choices, and social interactions. They often explain differences in perception within migrant families.