Acculturation
The process of psychological and cultural change that occurs when individuals from one culture come into prolonged contact with another. It involves adapting to the norms, values, and behaviors of the host culture, while also influencing the dominant culture through mutual transformations.
Difference Between Enculturation and Acculturation:
- Enculturation focuses on heritage culture and maintaining cultural identity, primarily occurring within one’s own culture.
- Acculturation involves cultural adaptation, emphasizing changes in behavior and beliefs when interacting with a different culture.
- Enculturation is generally about preservation, whereas acculturation is about adjustment to a new cultural environment.
Berry’s (1997) Two-Dimensional Model of Acculturation
Berry proposed a model of acculturation strategies based on two dimensions:
- Maintenance of Heritage Culture: The degree to which individuals wish to retain their cultural identity.
- Seeking Relationships with Other Groups: The extent of integration or interaction with the host culture.
Based on these dimensions, Berry suggest 4 acculturation strategies:
- Assimilation: Adopting the dominant culture while abandoning one's heritage culture.
- Integration: Maintaining one's heritage culture while actively engaging with the host culture.
- Separation: Retaining one's heritage culture and avoiding interaction with the host culture.
- Marginalization: Losing connection with both the heritage and host cultures.
Some key ideas of the model of acculturation include:
- Acculturation gaps: Generational differences in acculturation, which often leads to conflict within families.
- Acculturative stress: Stressors associated with not fitting into a new culture, not being able to adapt, having difficulty with language, etc.
- Protective factors: Factors that decrease acculturative stress (support, positive relationships, etc.).
- Risk factors: Factors that increase stress and may prevent assimilation or integration (mental health issues, substance use, etc.).
Key Studies
Case studyShah et al. (2015)
Aim: To investigate the relationship between acculturation and obesity among South Asian migrant workers in the UAE.
Participants: 1,375 South Asian male migrants.
Method: Random sampling with BMI assessments.
Results:
Longer residence correlated with higher BMI.
Migrants showed higher obesity rates than locals and their non-migrant counterparts.
Conclusion: Acculturation to the UAE's dietary patterns contributed to increased obesity rates.
Evaluation:
- The study uses random sampling, which reduces selection bias and increases the reliability of the findings.
- The use of BMI assessments provides an objective measure of obesity.
- Findings support acculturation theory.
- The study is correlational–it identifies a relationship between acculturation and obesity but does not establish a direct causal link.
- The sample consists only of male migrant workers, limiting generalizability.
- Cultural and dietary influences were not directly measured, making it unclear whether changes in were due to diet alone or other factors.
- BMI as a measure of obesity has limitations as it does not differentiate between fat and muscle mass.
Ishizawa and Jones (2016)
Aim: To identify protective factors against obesity in second- and third-generation Asian migrants in the USA.
Method: Correlational study.
Participants: Asian migrants across generations.
Results:
Obesity rates increased across generations.
Retaining cultural ties, such as language, acted as a protective factor.
Conclusion: Cultural retention can mitigate the negative effects of acculturation on health.
Evaluation:
- Longitudinal design demonstrates how acculturation impacts health behaviors over time.
- This study is correlational.
- Individual differences are not accounted for. For example, not all migrants within a generation may experience the same level of acculturation.
