what is acculturation
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Acculturation is the process of adopting and incorporating the cultural traits and customs of another group or society. It happens when individuals or groups from different cultures come into contact with each other and exchange ideas, beliefs, behaviors, and values.
To understand what acculturation is in more detail, you can follow these steps:
1. Start with a simple definition: Acculturation is the process of adopting and integrating cultural traits from another group or society.
2. Break down the term: "Acculturation" consists of two parts: "accu-" and "-lturation." "Accu-" means to "bring or come into contact with," and "-lturation" refers to "the process of adopting or transforming."
3. Understand the context: Acculturation occurs when individuals or groups from different cultures interact and exchange cultural elements, such as language, customs, traditions, and values.
4. Examples and illustrations: Think about situations where people from different cultures might come into contact and how they might adapt to one another. For instance, immigrants moving to a new country often go through a process of acculturation as they learn the language and customs of their new home while still maintaining aspects of their own culture.
5. Consider the outcomes: Acculturation can result in various outcomes. Individuals may fully adopt the new culture (assimilation), maintain aspects of their original culture while integrating new ones (integration), reject the new culture and maintain their original culture (separation), or experience a loss of their original culture without fully adopting the new one (marginalization).
By following these steps, you should be able to comprehend and explain what acculturation is and how it occurs.