Question

How does John W. Berry's theory on acculturation apply in a situation where two cultures (home cultural identity and host culture) clash.

Answer 1

• Acculturation is the process of social, psychological, and cultural change that stems from blending between cultures. The effects of acculturation can be seen at multiple levels in both the original (native) and newly adopted (host) cultures.
• Historically speaking, acculturation is a direct change of one's culture through dominanceover another's culture through either military or political conquest.
• At this group level, acculturation often results in changes to culture, customs, religious practices, diet, healthcare, and other social institutions. Some of the most noticeable group level effects of acculturation often include changes in food, clothing, and language.
• At the individual level, the process of acculturation refers to the socialization process by which foreign-born individuals adopt the values, customs, norms, attitudes, and behaviors of the dominant host 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. Since approximately one in four children in the United States live with at least one immigrant parent, this topic is worthy of understanding and discussing.
• 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.
• As it has been approached at different times from the fields of psychology, anthropology, and sociology, numerous theories and definitions have emerged to describe elements of the acculturative process.
• Despite definitions and evidence that acculturation entails a two-way process of change, research and theory have primarily focused on the adjustments and adaptations made by minorities such as immigrants, refugees, and indigenous peoples 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, and interventions to make this process easier.