Acculturation Orientation and Well-being of Ao and Lotha Tribe in India

The present study was conducted to examine the relationship between the acculturation orientation and well-being of Ao and Lotha tribe. The sample consists of 100 participants from two major tribes (Ao and Lotha) of Nagaland. Nagaland is a state in the North-East of India, which consists of 11 districts and the state is inhabited by 16 major tribes in which Ao tribe and Lotha tribe are major tribal groups of them. Each tribe is unique in character with its own distinct customs, language and dress. The study was carried out with 50 Ao and 50 Lotha participants within the age group of 20-30 years. A questionnaire constructed by Berry (2006) was used to examine the participants. Results revealed that there was no significant difference between Ao and Lotha tribe with respect to relational orientation and psychological as well as social well-being. It also revealed that integration and co-existence were positively correlated with psychological and social well-being while, separation, assimilation and marginalization were negatively correlated with psychological and social well-being. The findings are discussed and their implications for handling the problem of tribal groups are pointed out.