HR word of the day – Acculturation

Acculturation is the process of transformation that takes place, when there is an intermixing between two or more cultures. In acculturation, the people form group adopt the concepts, traits, beliefs etc of the other group.

The changes can be seen over two aspects,

1. Group Level: Change in the culture, food habits, draping sense, etc.

2. Individual Level: Daily behavior over a period of time, measures of physiological & psychological well being

The best part is that the even though the original cultural patterns of the groups change, the groups remain distinct. The concept was studied in detail in the fields of psychology, anthropology & sociology. The focus for acculturation has predominantly been the minorities, immigrants, and how they adapt to the society.

As acculturation is a sum total of the various factors at play, we build certain conceptual models keeping those factors intact. The most predominant have been the

1. Kramer’s Model

2. Kim & Gudykunst

3. Fourfold Model: It takes into account Assimilation, Separation, Integration & Marginalization.

Given the various ideas & thought process relating to acculturation, we could conclude that it is a cultural merging or rather the change in a person by borrowing certain traits from the other cultures.

Have a great HR day 😊