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Understanding the interactive acculturation model

The article deals with the analysis of the situation experienced by Turkish-Belgian
families regarding the care of their children and their development within the educational system
of Belgium, more specifically in the region of Flanders, which is characterized by its Flemish
culture. The studios are in the city of Beringen with a focus group consisting of mothers and
teachers learning about the local language, social interaction and employer (Ozgun and Ides,
2019).

The analysis of the interactive model of acculturation leads me to understand how

complex the cultural dynamics of our world are (as happens in the case of families of Turkish
origin in Belgium), which over time has become increasingly globalized. This model reminds me
that different cultures interact through a unilateral process, but rather involve a series of quite
dynamic exchanges in which both the culture of origin of the immigrants and the culture that
receives the new individuals mutually influence each other.

One of the most important aspects of this model is the importance it gives to
bidirectionality, since, when I first heard about acculturation, I had the conception that it simply
implied that one group of people integrate into the culture of another. cluster. However, in the
interactive model this is not the case, since it tells us that there are several publicities within the
acculturation processes, because people and groups can choose different paths in their
acculturation process, and this can lead to one to diverse results, such as assimilation (which is
how the local Flemish population mentioned in the article was described) to integration,
separation (As is the case of the Turkish-Belgian population mentioned in the article), or
marginalization (Ozgun and Ides, 2019). This indicates that there are a lot of possibilities when it
comes to cultural experiences and that cultural identities can be flexible and changing.

Within the interactive model of acculturation, social processes are dependent on the
context in which they are involved. Sociopolitical, economic, and even historical circumstances
can have an impact that influences what happens within the acculturation process. For example,
the policies exercised by governments, the attitudes of the society that receives the immigrant
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population in its territory, and economic opportunities can influence the conscious and
unconscious decisions that people make regarding changes in their cultural identity.

Thanks to the interactive model of acculturation, we know that culture is not static and
homogeneous; in reality, they are constantly evolving and changing, and contact with other
cultures can modify them by incorporating new ideas, perspectives and practices. For this reason,
it is healthy for people to have a more open and tolerant attitude towards those who come from a
culture different from their own, towards cultural diversity and to recognize that the coexistence
of multiple cultures is positive for our lives and in general for our societies.

Conclusions

Because the world we live in is characterized by being globalized, I believe that

understanding the interactive model of acculturation and its application are a valuable tool to
promote peaceful coexistence and intercultural understanding. This is because it is a model with
a fairly clear structure that takes into account the way in which two cultures interact with each
other and because it studies and identifies the possible results that coexistence between cultures
can have, knowing how to detect situations that can be problematic such as separation or
marginalization. Although at the same time it can help identify those factors that allow good
assimilation or acculturation.

By recognizing the bidirectionality and complexity of cultural interactions, we can work towards
more inclusive societies that respect cultural diversity. Ultimately, this model invites us to reflect
on how we can embrace our own cultural roots while opening ourselves to the experiences and
perspectives of others, building a more enriching and understanding world for all.

References

Ozgun, U., Ides, N. (2019) Interactive acculturation of turkish-belgian parents and childre in
Flanders: A case study of Beringen. Migration letters 16(3), 417 – 428.