Acculturation

Home > Historical Disciplines and Topics > Colonialism and Postcolonialism > Acculturation

The process by which individuals or groups adopt the cultural beliefs and practices of another culture.

Definition of Acculturation: The process of cultural exchange when two or more cultures come into contact with each other.
Definition of Colonialism: The practice of acquiring political and economic control over another country or territory, often through the use of military force or political power.
Colonialism and Acculturation: How colonialism has contributed to acculturation by bringing together different cultures and promoting cultural exchange.
Postcolonialism: The study of the effects of colonialism on the colonized and their cultures, as well as the ways in which colonialism continues to shape contemporary societies.
Cultural Identity: How cultural identity is shaped by acculturation and colonialism, and the challenges faced by individuals and communities in maintaining their cultural identity in the face of dominant cultural forces.
Power and Resistance: The role of power and resistance in the process of acculturation and colonialism, including the ways in which marginalized groups have resisted cultural assimilation.
Globalization and Acculturation: How globalization has contributed to cultural exchange and the spread of cultural practices, including the ways in which it has facilitated the spread of dominant cultural forces.
Language and Acculturation: The role of language in the process of acculturation and how it can be used to assert cultural identity and resist dominant cultural forces.
Education and Acculturation: The role of education in the process of acculturation and how it can be used to promote cultural exchange or reinforce dominant cultural forces.
Intercultural Communication: The study of how people from different cultures communicate with each other, including the challenges and opportunities presented by acculturation and colonialism.
Assimilation: The process where traces of the colonized culture disappear and they adopt the cultural norms of the colonizer.
Cultural loss: The loss of a culture's traditional practices and norms, either due to colonialism or postcolonialism.
Deculturation: The process of the decline or disappearance of the traditional culture of colonized people due to the introduction of a foreign culture.
Indigenization: The process of incorporating foreign aspects into an existing culture to create a new and unique culture.
Integration: Through the adoption of the customs and techniques of the colonizer, the colonization process comes full circle.
Marginalization: A process that forces a culture outside of the mainstream, leading to the neglect of traditions and customs.
Acculturation: The process of adopting the cultural elements and practices of another culture, such as language and religious practices.
Resistance: The process of refusing to adopt and maintain the cultural norms and systems introduced by the colonizer.
Syncretism: This process refers to the blending of two or more cultures to create a new one.
Mimicry: The colonized try to imitate the colonizer's cultural nuances and practices to elevate their social status.
"Acculturation is a process of social, psychological, and cultural change that stems from the balancing of two cultures while adapting to the prevailing culture of the society."
"The process of acculturation refers to the socialization process by which foreign-born individuals blend the values, customs, norms, cultural attitudes, and behaviors of the overarching host culture."
"At this group level, acculturation often results in changes to culture, religious practices, health care, and other social institutions."
"There are also significant ramifications on the food, clothing, and language of those becoming introduced to the overarching culture."
"This process has been linked to changes in daily behavior, as well as numerous changes in psychological and physical well-being."
"As enculturation is used to describe the process of first-culture learning, acculturation can be thought of as second-culture learning."
"Under normal circumstances that are seen commonly in today's society, the process of acculturation normally occurs over a large span of time throughout a few generations."
"Physical force can be seen in some instances of acculturation, which can cause it to occur more rapidly, but it is not a main component of the process."
"Scholars in different disciplines have developed more than 100 different theories of acculturation, but the concept of acculturation has only been studied scientifically since 1918."
"Research and theory have primarily focused on the adjustments and adaptations made by minorities such as immigrants, refugees, and indigenous people in response to their contact with the dominant majority."
"Contemporary research has primarily focused on different strategies of acculturation, how variations in acculturation affect individuals..."
"Acculturation is a process in which an individual adopts, acquires, and adjusts to a new cultural environment as a result of being placed into a new culture, or when another culture is brought to someone."
"Individuals of a differing culture try to incorporate themselves into the new more prevalent culture by participating in aspects of the more prevalent culture, such as their traditions..."
"...but still hold onto their original cultural values and traditions."
"Acculturation is a process in which an individual adopts, acquires, and adjusts to a new cultural environment as a result of being placed into a new culture..."
"At this group level, acculturation often results in changes to culture, religious practices, health care, and other social institutions."
"Scholars in different disciplines have developed more than 100 different theories of acculturation..."
"The effects of acculturation can be seen at multiple levels in both the devotee of the prevailing culture and those who are assimilating into the culture."
"...numerous theories and definitions have emerged to describe elements of the acculturative process."
"...interventions to make this process easier."