Acculturation and Related Concepts

Definition of Acculturation

• Internalizing Dominant Cultural Norms: Adopting norms of the culture where one has migrated.
• Cultural Modification: Individual or group adapts to another culture, learning its aspects.
• Adoption of Cultural Traits: Process of adopting cultural traits or social patterns of another group.
• Groups Experiencing Acculturation:
  • Indigenous people
  • Ethnocultural groups
  • Immigrants
  • Refugees
  • Asylum-seekers

Culture Shock

• Definition: Feelings of uncertainty, confusion, and anxiety when in a new environment.

Berry's Model of Acculturation (1997)

• Strategies of Cultural Change:
  • Assimilation: Open to change, unconcerned about losing original culture, adapts to dominant norms.
  • Integration: Preserves original culture while exploring relationships with other cultures.
  • Separation: Values original culture, avoids contact with other cultures.
  • Marginalization: Neither maintains original culture nor seeks new cultural contacts.

Acculturative Stress

• Definition: Psychological and emotional strain from adapting to a new culture.
• Causes:
  • Cultural conflict
  • Language barriers
  • Discrimination and prejudice
  • Loss of social support
• Impacts: Can lead to physical and mental health issues.
• Acculturation Gaps: Differences in cultural understanding between parents and children.
• Reverse Culture Shock: Disorientation when returning to home culture after living abroad.

Study 1: Berry et al. (2006)

• Aim: Investigate immigrant youth adaptation and its relation to acculturation strategies.
• Procedure: Compared native and international youth across 13 countries.
• Sample: 7997 participants, with both first- and second-generation immigrants.
• Method: Structured questionnaires in various countries.
• Results: Identified four immigration profiles - integration, national, ethnic, and diffuse.
• Conclusions: Integration is the most successful strategy; cultural maintenance is crucial for adaptation.
• Study Evaluation:
  • Strengths: Large, diverse sample; implications for quality of life for immigrants.
  • Limitations: Reliance on self-report data; lack of contextual factors assessment.

Study 2: Leuck and Wilson (2010)

• Aim: Investigate predictors of acculturative stress in Asian immigrants/Asian Americans.
• Sample: 2095 Asian Americans, with diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Method: Semi-structured interviews with cultural/linguistic matching.
• Findings: Bilingual preference lowers stress; negative treatment increases stress.
• Study Evaluation:
  • Strengths: Large, diverse sample; personal interviews.
  • Limitations: Social desirability bias; subjective measures of stress.

Berry's Model of Acculturation - Limitations and Strengths

Limitations

• Cultural Specificity: Western-centric focus, may not apply to non-immigrant populations.
• Reductionism: Over-simplification of acculturation strategies.
• Lack of Context: Does not account for barriers like discrimination and socioeconomic status.
• Contradictory Evidence: Integration strategy shown to reduce stress in studies.
• Ecological Validity: Lab studies may not reflect real-world conditions.

Strengths

• Temporal Validity: Consistent support over time.
• Predictive Power: Indicates potential adaptation outcomes based on acculturation strategy.
• Application: Can inform policies and support for immigrants, enhancing adaptation.
• Validity and Reliability: Supported by repeated studies.