Acculturation

We explain what acculturation is, what its characteristics are and what types exist. Also, what are its consequences and some examples.

What is acculturation?

Acculturation It is a process of change that takes place when two cultures come into close contact. This change is expressed in customs, beliefs, language, norms and other practices, and is understood as a form of adaptation to new social conditions.

It is a gradual process that occurs when there is prolonged contact between two different cultures, whether as a result of migration, colonization, trade or globalization. This process can be voluntary or forced, and is usually bidirectional although often one culture exerts more influence than the other.

The term “acculturation” began to be used at the beginning of the 20th century in social studies. It was introduced by anthropologists Robert Redfield, Ralph Linton and Melville J. Herskovits in their study of the processes of cultural change. Since then, it has been the subject of numerous studies and has evolved to include different approaches and perspectives.

See also: Culture

Characteristics of acculturation

Acculturation is characterized by the following:

• Interaction. Acculturation occurs when two or more cultures come into direct and continuous contact.
• Changes The cultures involved undergo changes, such as the adoption of new customs, religious practices, values ​​or social norms.
• Bidirectionality. Although one culture may exert more influence than the other, both are affected.
• Can. On many occasions, the interaction between cultures is asymmetrical and results in the oppression and marginalization of the subject culture.
• Adaptation. Individuals or groups adapt elements of the other culture, while retaining aspects of their original culture.
• Diversity Some individuals completely assimilate into the other culture, while others maintain their original cultural identity or develop a bicultural identity.
• Context. The acculturation process is influenced by factors such as the duration and intensity of contact, government policies, social attitudes, and power differences between cultural groups.

Types of acculturation

In anthropology, it is common to use different concepts to distinguish types of acculturation. Among the most used are:

Acculturation by incorporation

Acculturation by incorporation consists of the adoption and modification of cultural elements between peoples who preserve their autonomy and social and political self-determination. In turn, this change can occur in three different ways:

• Syncretism . It occurs when a synthesis of patterns takes place whose result is different from that of both cultures of origin, that is, a new culture is created by hybridization. For example, the fusion of two different gods into one, venerated by both peoples and responding to both traditions.
• Adoption. It occurs when one of the cultures incorporates some typically foreign cultural practice into its repertoire, that is, it adopts some element of the other culture as its own. For example, the incorporation of a food or preparation from another culture to the typical repertoire of one's own.
• Adaptation. It occurs when new materials or practices are incorporated into an already existing cultural phenomenon, that is, something is taken from another culture for an existing element of one's own. For example, the replacement of a material typically used in the manufacture of crafts with a new one that brings with it the other culture.

Acculturation by direct change

Acculturation by direct change It consists of the imposition of the cultural traits of one people on another through dynamics of submission and oppression. It is a consequence of a form of political and economic domination.

This type of acculturation can also occur in very diverse ways, determined by the degree of resistance of the subordinate culture and the tolerance of the dominant one.

An example of acculturation by direct change is the imposition of the Spanish language on indigenous populations in Latin America by Spanish colonizers. This process was a direct change, as indigenous people were forced to learn and use Spanish instead of their native languages ​​due to the political and social domination of the colonizers.

Consequences of acculturation

The consequences of acculturation can be:

• The creation of a new culture (syncretism) or the modification of the two cultures in a significant and lasting way.
• The adoption of practices, beliefs and customs belonging to one culture by some individuals of the other.
• The modification of important cultural elements, such as language, religion, customs or the very sense of identity.
• Culture shock and the struggle for cultural domination in cases of traumatic encounter of cultures.
• The assimilation of one culture into another, when the encounter occurs in terms of clear social, military or economic domination.

Examples of acculturation

Some examples of acculturation processes are the following:

• The imposition of the Christian religion, the Spanish language and European culture in America during the colonization process (15th to 18th centuries).
• The dissemination of different musical genres today, such as the influence of reggaeton originating from Puerto Rico on pop music worldwide.
• The practice of yoga originating from India in different Western countries, with the adaptation of traditional elements and the incorporation of modern movements.
• The adoption of Ancient Greek culture and mythology by the invading Roman people beginning in the 2nd century BC. c.
• The imposition of the Islamic religion on the peoples of Africa, India and Persia after the Muslim expansion from the 7th to the 15th centuries.
• The creation of melting pots and zones of free cultural exchange on the borders between countries, as has occurred since the 19th century on the border between Mexico and the United States, giving rise to Chicano culture and gastronomy. Tex Mex.

Acculturation and transculturation

Within anthropological studies on cultural changes, there is another concept called “transculturation”. It is a concept that highlights the conflictive side of acculturation processes.

The term “transculturation” was coined in the 20th century by the Cuban journalist, anthropologist and archaeologist Fernando Ortiz Fernández (1881-1969). His objective was to distance himself from the term “acculturation” used in North American anthropology, because he considered that these studies made relations of domination invisible.

With the support of the anthropologist Bronislaw Malonwski (1884-1942), Ortiz Fernández proposed the term “transculturation”. This assumes that, in addition to incorporating new cultural patterns, a town also loses valuable elements of its own culture.

References

• Barfield, T. (Ed.). (2001). Acculturation. Anthropology Dictionary. Bellaterra.
• Campo Aráuz, AL (Ed.). (2008). Acculturation. Basic Anthropology Dictionary. Abya-Yala Editions.
• Marrero León, E. (2013). Transculturation and cultural studies. Brief approach to the thought of Fernando Ortiz. Blank Tab(19), 101-117. https://www.redalyc.org
• The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2018). Acculturation. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com