Examples of acculturation in culture and history. The meaning of the word "acculturation"

the process of mutual influence of cultures, as a result of which the culture of one people is completely or partially perceived by the culture of another people, usually less developed; this is a variety of processes of assimilation and ethnic consolidation.

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ACCULTURATION

Change process material culture, customs and beliefs that occur directly. contact and mutual influence of different socio-cultural systems. The term A. is used to denote both this process itself and its results. Close to it in meaning are terms such as “cultural contact” and “transculturation”.

The concept of A. began to be used in America. cultural anthropology in the late 19th century. in connection with the study of the processes of cultural change in the tribes of North America. Indians (F. Boas, W. Holmes, W. McGee, R. Lowy). Initially, it was used in a narrow sense and primarily denoted the processes of assimilation occurring in Indian tribes as a result of their contact with the culture of white Americans. In the 30s This term is firmly entrenched in America. anthropology, and A. processes have become one of the main. the more empirical research and theory analysis. A. was the subject of field research by Herskowitz, M. Mead, Redfield, M. Hunter, L. Spier, Linton, and Malinowski. On Tue. floor. 30s There has been interest in more systematic studying acculturation processes. In 1935, Redfield, Linton and Herskowitz developed a standard model for the study of A. They defined A. as “a set of phenomena that arise as a result of the fact that groups of individuals with different cultures come into permanent direct contact, during which changes occur in the original cultural patterns of one of the groups or both of them." Analytical analysis was carried out. the difference between the recipient group, the original cultural patterns of which undergo a change, and the donor group, from which the first culture draws new cultural patterns: this model was convenient for empirical purposes. studies of cultural changes in small ethnic groups. groups due to their collision with the West. industrial culture. Redfield, Linton and Herskowitz identified three main ones. type of reaction of the recipient group to a situation of cultural contact: acceptance (complete replacement of the old cultural pattern with a new one, learned from the donor group); adaptation (partial change in the traditional pattern under the influence of the culture of the donor group); reaction (complete rejection of the cultural patterns of the “donor group” with intensified attempts to preserve traditional patterns unchanged). This analysis scheme had a beneficial effect on the empirical research. research and received further development.

Herskowitz’s works explored the processes of combining cultural elements of contacting groups, as a result of which fundamentally new cultural patterns emerge (studies of syncretism in the black cultures of the New World, in particular syncretic religious cults). Linton and Malinovsky analyzed the negative reaction of “primitive cultures” to the situation of contact with the West. industrial culture (Linton introduced the concept of “nativist movements” for this purpose; Malinowski used the term “tribalism”). Linton developed a typology of nativist movements (Nativist Movements, 1943).

Important theory Important for the study of A. was Linton’s work “A. in the seven tribes of the American Indians” (1940), where two types of conditions were identified in which A. can occur: 1) free borrowing of elements from each other by contacting cultures, occurring when absence of military-political domination of one group over another; 2) guided cultural change, with it being dominant in the military or political. In relation, the group pursues a policy of forced cultural assimilation of the subordinate group.

Until the 50s. the study of A. was limited to the study of changes in traditions. crops under the influence of Western civilization; starting from the 50-60s. There has been a noticeable expansion of research. prospects: the number of studies devoted to the interaction and mutual influence of sudden cultures and processes such as Spanishization, Japaneseization, Sinicization, etc., characteristic of the department. cultural regions(J. Foster, J. Phelan, etc.); A. research methods were applied to the study of the process of urbanization in complex communities (R. Beals). While previously the main focus was on the influence of the “dominant” culture on the “subordinate” one, now the reverse influence (for example, African musical forms on modern Western music) has also become the subject of research. The explicit or implicit identification of A. with assimilation gave way to a broader understanding of A. as a process of interaction between cultures, during which they change, assimilate new elements, and form as a result of mixing different cultural traditions a fundamentally new cultural synthesis.

acculturation
(lat. acculturare - from lat. ad - to and cultura - education, development) - the process of mutual influence of cultures (exchange cultural characteristics), perception by one people in whole or in part of the culture of another people. At the same time, original cultural models one or both groups may be changed, but the groups are still different. It is necessary to distinguish between acculturation and assimilation, in which one people completely loses its language and culture upon contact with another, more dominant one. At the same time, undoubtedly, acculturation can be the first step towards complete assimilation.

However, anthropologist Franz Boas argued that culture is imparted to all people, not just “savages” and minorities:

“It would not be an exaggeration to say that there are no people whose cultural development without the influence of foreign culture.”

Subsequently, anthropologists R. Beals, R. Linton, R. Redfield and M. Herskowitz developed an often cited definition:

“Acculturation occurs when groups of individuals from different cultures come into continuous communication with subsequent changes in the original cultural pattern of one or both groups.”

• 1. History
• 2 Examples
• 3 Notes
• 4 Literature
• 5 Links
• 6 See also

Story

The concept of acculturation was first used by the German ethnologist W. Krickenberg in the 1910 book Illustrierte Völkerkunde in the context cultural interaction between some tribes of South America.

In connection with the study of the processes of cultural change in the tribes of the North American Indians(F. Boas, W. Holmes, W. McGee, R. Lowy) the concept of acculturation was used in a narrow sense and denoted primarily the processes of assimilation occurring in Indian tribes as a result of their contact with the “culture” of the arriving colonizers European continent. German ethnologist Richard Thurnwald first uses the term acculturation in the title scientific work in 1932..

In the 30s, this term was firmly entrenched in American anthropology, and the processes of acculturation became one of the main topics of empirical research and theoretical analysis. Acculturation has been the subject of field research by Herskowitz, M. Mead, Redfield, M. Hunter, L. Spier, Linton, Malinowski. In the second half of the 1930s, there was interest in a more systematic study of acculturation processes. 1935 Redfield, Linton, and Herskowitz developed a generic model for acculturation research. An analytical distinction was made between the recipient group, whose original cultural patterns undergo change, and the donor group, from whose culture the former draws new cultural patterns: this model was convenient for empirical studies of cultural change in small ethnic groups due to their clash with Western industrial culture.

Redfield, Linton and Herskowitz identified three main types of reaction of the recipient group to a situation of cultural contact:

• “acceptance” (complete replacement of the old cultural model with a new one, drawn from the donor group)
• "adaptation" (partial change in the traditional model under the influence of the culture of the donor group)
• “reaction” (complete rejection of the cultural models of the “donor group” with intensified attempts to preserve traditional models unchanged).

This analytical framework has had a beneficial effect on empirical research and has been further developed. Herskowitz's works explored the processes of combining cultural elements of contacting groups, as a result of which fundamentally new cultural models emerge. Linton and Malinovsky analyzed the negative reaction of “primitive cultures” to the situation of contact with Western industrial culture (Linton introduced the concept of “nativist movements” for this purpose; Malinovsky used the term “tribalism”). Linton developed a typology of nativist movements (Nativist Movements, 1943).
Important theoretical value for the study of acculturation, Linton’s work “Acculturation in Seven Tribes of the American Indians” (1940) was used, where two types of conditions were identified in which acculturation can occur:

• free borrowing of elements from each other by contacting cultures, occurring in the absence of military-political. domination of one group over another.
• guided cultural change in which the dominant military or politically the group pursues a policy of forced cultural assimilation of the subordinate group.

Until the 1950s, the study of acculturation was limited to the study of changes in cultural traditions under the influence Western civilization. Since the 50-60s, there has been a noticeable expansion of the research perspective: the number of studies devoted to the interaction and mutual influence of non-Western cultures and processes such as Spanishization, Japaneseization, Sinicization, etc., characteristic of the department, has increased. cultural regions (J. Foster, J. Phelan, etc.). Acculturation research methods were applied to the study of the process of urbanization in difficult circumstances(R. Beals). If earlier the main focus was on the influence of the “dominant” culture on the “subordinate” one, now the subject of research has also become the reverse influence (for example, African-American musical forms to modern western music). Explicit or implicit identification of acculturation with assimilation has given way to a broader understanding of acculturation as a process of interaction between cultures, during which they change, assimilate new elements, and are formed as a result of mixing different cultures new traditions of a fundamentally new cultural synthesis.

Examples

Examples of acculturation are quite numerous in modern world, especially after a multiple increase in migration flows from one region to another.

For example, many divided peoples go through the path of acculturation, forced to adapt to the conditions of the cultural and linguistic environment created by the majority surrounding them. At the same time, their assimilation does not occur; they retain cultural and linguistic autonomy.

At the same time, long-term acculturation, which does not end with assimilation for one reason or another, may have a hidden conflict potential. On the other hand, many peoples (especially diasporas) who have successfully passed the path of acculturation are faced with the threat of complete assimilation.

Notes

1. Thurnwald, 1932

Literature

• Thurnwald R. The Psychology of Acculturation. // American Anthropologist, XXXIV. 1932. p. 557-569
• Redfield R., Linton R., Herskovits M.J. (1936) Memorandum for the Study of Acculturation. American Anthropologist, Vol. 38, No. 1, 149-152.
• Lewin, K. (1948). Resolving social conflicts. New York: Harper & Row.
• Boas, F. (1940). The aims of ethnology. Reprinted in F. Boas, Race, language, and culture (pp. 626–638). New York: Macmillan. (Originally published in 1888.)

Links

• Koryakin K.V. On the concept of acculturation in studies of migration problems // Immigration from Russia and to Russia, 11/07/2013

see also

• Minority-Majority States of the United States

acculturation

Acculturation Information About

(Latin acculturare - from Latin ad - about, to, with and cultura - education, development; English acculturation; German Akkulturation)

1. Adaptation of individuals or groups to any culture.

2. Mutual influence of very different and (usually) neighboring cultures.

3. A change in the culture of one people - weaker in political and economic relations - under the influence of another, stronger one.

4. Any transmission of culture from one group to another, including transmission from one generation to another (although in this case The concepts of enculturation and socialization are more often used).

5. An incomplete synonym for the term “socialization”.

6. Transfer of cultural elements from one generation to another within the same culture.

7. Children’s gradual acquisition of forms of behavior from the surrounding culture (subculture) within which they grow.

8. Process mutual influence cultures, when technologies, patterns of behavior, values, etc. are learned through direct contact. foreign culture, which, in turn, change and adapt to new requirements.

9. The process of mutual influence of cultures, the perception by one people, in whole or in part, of the culture of another people, (usually more developed).

10. The process of mutual influence of cultures, during which one people learns values, norms, and patterns of behavior from another.

11. The process of mutual influence of cultures (exchange of cultural characteristics), perception by one people in whole or in part of the culture of another people.

12. The process of interaction and interpenetration of those in contact political life various systems political values ​​associated with their internal changes.

13. The process of interaction between cultures, as well as its result, which consists in the perception by one of them of elements of another culture or the emergence of a new sociocultural system.

14. The process of interaction between cultures, during which they change, assimilate new elements, and form a fundamentally new cultural synthesis as a result of mixing different cultural traditions.

15. The process of interpenetration and mutual influence of cultures, when in the course of direct contact technology, patterns of behavior, and values ​​of a foreign culture are assimilated, which, in turn, change and adapt to new requirements.

16. The process of interpenetration and mutual influence of customs and traditions, dissemination cultural values from one social center to another.

17. The process of perception by a person or group of people of a complex of cultural norms of the surrounding population.

18. The process by which groups of people with different cultures By entering into direct long-term contacts, they assimilate elements of another culture.

19. The process during which contacts between different cultural groups lead to the acquisition of new samples of the culture of one of them, or perhaps both, together with the full or partial perception of the other culture.

20. The process of borrowing and perceiving the culture of another group in conditions of close interaction with it.

21. The process of changing material culture, customs and beliefs, occurring through direct contact and mutual influence of various social and cultural systems.

22. The process of a child mastering a new culture; the relationship between native and appropriated culture.

23. The process of re-socialization of an adult (resocialization) or the assimilation of the norms and values ​​of a foreign culture necessary for life and positively perceived, which are layered on the traditions and customs of the native culture.

24. A change of culture that occurs through the process of constant direct contact between two different cultural groups.

25. A set of phenomena that arise as a result of the fact that groups of individuals with different cultures come into permanent direct contact, during which changes occur in the original cultural patterns of one of the groups or both of them.

Explanations:
Acculturation includes contacts between representatives of different cultures. The result of such contacts is the perception of cultural norms and values. Usually they are adopted by an individual or a group of people who find themselves in a foreign country and remain there for permanent residence. The reverse process, when the entire population of the country adopts cultural norms for a visiting group of foreigners, this practically never happens. The term "Acculturation" is used to refer to both the process itself and its results.

There are two types of conditions under which Acculturation can occur:
1) free borrowing of elements from each other by contacting cultures, occurring in the absence of military-political domination of one group over another;
2) guided cultural change, in which a militarily or politically dominant group pursues a policy of forced cultural assimilation of a subordinate group.

There are many examples of Acculturation. In the 19th century, Russia annexed many new cultural regions to its borders: Poland, the Caucasus, Central Asia. The Russians who moved there adopted local customs and traditions, while maintaining their own. But the local population also became more familiar with Russian culture and borrowed a lot from it. This is an example of Acculturation resulting from territorial conquests and annexations.

Culture is instilled in all people, and not just “savages” and minorities: “there are no people whose cultural development was without the influence of a foreign culture.” At the same time, the exchange cultural elements usually has an unequal nature; this is especially significant for immigrant groups who find themselves in a new ethnocultural environment and are forced to adapt to it.

There are three main types of reaction of the recipient group, the original cultural patterns of which are undergoing a change, to the situation of cultural contact with the donor group, from whose culture the former draws new cultural patterns:
- acceptance (complete replacement of the old cultural pattern with a new one, gleaned from the donor group);
- adaptation (partial change in the traditional pattern under the influence of the culture of the donor group);
- reaction (complete rejection of the cultural patterns of the “donor group” with intensified attempts to preserve traditional patterns unchanged).

Changes as a result of Acculturation at the group level:
- physical changes: new place of residence, different type of farming, increased population density, urbanization, increased atmospheric pollution, etc. They are all related to acculturation.
- biological changes: new dietary habits, unfamiliar diseases (often very destructive to the body). This also has a connection with acculturation.
- political changes during which non-dominant groups come under some control and lose some of their autonomy.
- economic changes that lead people away from traditional occupations to new forms of work and employment.
- definitely happen cultural changes(which are the focus of our attention): linguistic, religious, educational and technological foundations are changing, including intergroup and interpersonal relations.

As a result of Acculturation, a lot of psychological changes and changes in behavior (behavioral shifts) occur at the personal level. They include values, attitudes, abilities and motives. For example, existing identification and attitudes change and new ones develop: personal identification and ethnic identification often shift away from the original indicators; thoughts arise about how much (if at all) one should participate in the Acculturation process; other attitudes (such as intergroup attitudes and life preferences) also change and develop in the process of Acculturation.
At the personal level, in the process of Acculturation, social and psychological problems; they refer to the concept of acculturative stress (or culture shock). Since such negative and undesirable consequences are inevitable and there are many opportunities to encounter them in the process of Acculturation, it is obvious that serious problems regarding Acculturation.
The emergence and spread of behavioral shifts and acculturative stress are caused by a number of characteristics that individuals bring with them to the acculturation field and other phenomena that arise during the process of acculturation.

Acculturation occurs when groups of individuals with different cultures come into continuous communication with subsequent changes in the original cultural pattern of one or both groups.

Acculturation can be the first step towards full assimilation.
Long-term acculturation, which does not end with assimilation for one reason or another, may have a hidden conflict potential, expressed in such manifestations as balkanization, discrimination, segregation.
On the other hand, many peoples (especially diasporas) who have successfully passed the path of Acculturation face the threat of complete assimilation (Changos and Russian Old Believers in Romania, Franco-Ontarians and Franco-Manitobans in Canada).

Acculturation is a necessary element of intercultural interaction. When representatives of two different cultures meet, they, intending to find mutual language, trying to understand each other. Thus, Acculturation plays progressive role in a global society. It involves learning the norms of another culture, getting to know its historical heritage, allows you to find an effective technology for communicating between people.