Reading 2 - Assimilation & Acculturation - Exercise #3

Reading 2 - Assimilation & Acculturation

What are: Multiculturalism, Assimilation & Acculturation?                                                        

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Multiculturalism is the the institutionalization of communities containing multiple cultures. It is generally applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g. schools, businesses, neighborhoods, cities, or nations.

In a political context the term is used for a wide variety of meanings, ranging from the advocacy of equal respect to the various cultures in a society, to a policy of promoting the maintenance of cultural diversity. A common aspect of many such policies is that they avoid presenting any specific ethnic, religious, or cultural community values as central.^[3]

Multiculturalism is often contrasted with the concepts of assimilation and has been described as a "salad bowl" rather than a "melting pot."^[4]

Look at the two diagrams above. Which one represents “multiculturalism” and which one is “assimilation”?

2) Assimilation (from Latin assimilatio; "to render similar") may refer to:

 Cultural assimilation, the process whereby a minority group gradually adapts to the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture and customs.

• Assimilation (sociology), the blending or fusing of minority groups into the dominant society

Think of the word “similar” which will help you remember “assimilation”.

3) Acculturation

Acculturation explains the process of cultural and psychological change that results following meeting between cultures.^[1] The effects of acculturation can be seen at multiple levels in both interacting cultures. At the group level, acculturation often results in changes to culture, customs, and social institutions. Noticeable group level effects of acculturation often include changes in food, clothing, and language. At the individual level, differences in the way individuals acculturate have been shown to be associated not just with changes in daily behavior, but with numerous measures of 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.