Acculturation :

The Mosaic of Society

Acculturation is the result of the continuous interactions of cultures. Acculturation is
happening everywhere, all of the time, in some form. If you visit a friend's house, they probably
have a somewhat different set of values, habits, beliefs, and approaches to life. Spend enough
time there, and you may notice your own personal culture being affected and your culture
affecting your friend's family.

In the past, acculturation was viewed as a process of one culture taking on characteristics of a
more dominant culture. Modern theorists have a different take on things. Many see
communities as a combination of the various cultures that make up the region. Instead of a
melting pot where all cultures become the same, they describe society as a mosaic of different
cultures, each with qualities that influence one another over time in complex and sometimes
unpredictable ways.

Substitution
Now we'll look at the different acculturation processes themselves. One process of
acculturation is known as substitution. This is a lot like it sounds. It's when a culture
substitutes one cultural trait for another, switching one tradition, belief, or practice for another.

For example, Lucy is a child of Italian-American parents, living in the mid-20th century. She's
been sent to school with a salami sandwich in her lunchbox, rather than a peanut butter and
jelly sandwich like some of her classmates. If Lucy asks her parents for a peanut butter
sandwich instead of the more traditional Italian salami sandwich, she is substituting one
element of her culture for another.

Her Italian culture is largely in place in other ways at home and in social activities, but this one
element has shifted. This kind of shift can happen quickly. For the sake of simplicity, the
examples in this lesson are basic, but if changes like these happen on a large scale, they are
part of a process of acculturation.

Syncretism
Another type of acculturation process is syncretism. It's when cultures blend together various
elements of each. Remember this term 'syncretism' by thinking about things syncing up
together.

For example, Lucy's parents work in the wine-making industry. As Italian Americans, they work
alongside people of other ethnicities who are influencing the development of winemaking in
the region. Each cultural tradition brings different practices to the art and science of creating
wine. Unlike substitution, syncretism takes time. It won't happen overnight, like Lucy and other
students having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in their lunchboxes. It also has a bigger
impact on the culture. In this example, it could lead to an entirely new way of making wine.

Deculturation
The next process that can occur is deculturation. This refers to when a cultural element is lost.
For instance, Lucy's Italian parents may have brought to America the practice of having a family
garden, a fig tree, or grapevines. Time passed and younger generations, like Lucy's, lost this
practice of gardening these fruits and vegetables in their yard. This part of the culture was lost
due to deculturation. You can remember this term by thinking about a cultural trait being
destroyed.

Is deculturation always negative? Not necessarily. Efforts to end segregation by race in the
culture of the Southern United States, for instance, are considered a positive cultural shift. You
can probably think of examples in your own community where there are practices and habits
you want to change. Deculturation does not mean that a particular culture ceases to exist, but
that some elements of a culture are no longer practiced or reinforced by that community.

Origination
Origination is another process. This is when new traits of culture are developed to meet the
demands of the environment. For instance, Italian immigrants arriving in the United States in
the early 20th century needed work. The work available to those with limited English and
education, like Lucy's grandparents, were jobs in the unskilled physical labor force. While in
Italy, a person may or may not have performed physical labor, the new environment made this
a part of Italian-American culture. You can remember this term by recalling that origination
creates original traits for the culture.