Acculturation refers to the process through which individuals or groups from one culture come into contact with and adapt to another culture. Acculturation models help explain the various ways in which this process can occur. One well-known acculturation model is the Acculturation Model proposed by John W. Berry.
Berry’s Acculturation Model:
John W. Berry, a psychologist, proposed a widely used model known as the Fourfold Model of Acculturation. This model identifies four potential strategies that individuals or groups may adopt when encountering a new culture. These strategies are based on two key dimensions: the retention or rejection of one’s own culture (ethnic identity) and the adoption or avoidance of the new culture.
Integration: Individuals or groups high on both retaining their own culture and seeking daily interactions with the new culture are considered to be integrating. They maintain a strong connection to their heritage culture while actively participating in the broader society.
Assimilation: Assimilation occurs when individuals or groups prioritize adopting the new culture while minimizing their original cultural identity. This involves a process of acculturative change where individuals may lose aspects of their original culture in favor of the dominant culture.
Separation: Separation involves maintaining a strong connection to one’s original culture while avoiding interactions with the new culture. Individuals or groups adopting this strategy often resist assimilation and prefer to stay within their cultural boundaries.
Marginalization: This occurs when individuals or groups neither retain their original culture nor seek to engage with the new culture. Marginalized individuals may feel a sense of alienation and may not actively participate in either cultural context.
It’s important to note that individuals or groups may move between these acculturation strategies over time, and the choice of strategy can be influenced by various factors such as individual preferences, societal attitudes, and the specific context of acculturation.
Different acculturation models exist, but Berry’s Fourfold Model is one of the most influential and widely cited in the field of acculturation research.
Shervan K Shahhian
LIBERTY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 