Intergroup Relations From a
Multicultural Perspective
– Lecture 4: Acculturation –
Content
Culture and Behaviour ............................................................................................................... 2
Three Levels of Social Integration ............................................................................................. 2
Berry’s Acculturation Model ..................................................................................................... 2
Empirical Evidence (ICSEY, 2006) ....................................................................................... 3
Determinants of Acculturation ............................................................................................... 5
Complicating factors for acculturation ............................................................................... 6
, Intergroup Relations Lecture 4: Acculturation
Culture and Behaviour
Enculturation: Adopting the ‘home’ culture
Acculturation: Adopting the ‘host’ culture
Migration
➔ Collision between enculturation and acculturation
➔ Collision between natives and migrants
Three Levels of Social Integration
1) Legal level: Migrants should endorse the principles of the Dutch law
➔ Enforced by authorities
2) Sociological level: Migrants should participate in Dutch society
➔ Encouraged by authorities
3) Psychological level: Preferably, migrants identify with Dutch culture
➔ By definition a private matter
Berry’s Acculturation Model
Acculturation: Cultural changes as a response to migration (long-lasting contact with people
from another culture)
- In principle acculturation is mutually happening (migrant adapts as well as host
culture). However, usually only migrants as the ethnic minority are expected to adapt.
- It is not only unidirectional ‘Home culture → Host culture’ but rather bidirectional
Orientation on home and host culture proof to be independent constructs (one can score
low/high on both)
Ties with home culture
Low High
Marginalization Separation
Low
→ Exclusion → Segregation
Ties with host culture
Assimilation Integration
High
→ Melting pot → Multiculturalism
➔ Natives want to remain the ties with their home culture
➔ Dutch often don’t accept it and prefer assimilation, a melting pot
2
Multicultural Perspective
– Lecture 4: Acculturation –
Content
Culture and Behaviour ............................................................................................................... 2
Three Levels of Social Integration ............................................................................................. 2
Berry’s Acculturation Model ..................................................................................................... 2
Empirical Evidence (ICSEY, 2006) ....................................................................................... 3
Determinants of Acculturation ............................................................................................... 5
Complicating factors for acculturation ............................................................................... 6
, Intergroup Relations Lecture 4: Acculturation
Culture and Behaviour
Enculturation: Adopting the ‘home’ culture
Acculturation: Adopting the ‘host’ culture
Migration
➔ Collision between enculturation and acculturation
➔ Collision between natives and migrants
Three Levels of Social Integration
1) Legal level: Migrants should endorse the principles of the Dutch law
➔ Enforced by authorities
2) Sociological level: Migrants should participate in Dutch society
➔ Encouraged by authorities
3) Psychological level: Preferably, migrants identify with Dutch culture
➔ By definition a private matter
Berry’s Acculturation Model
Acculturation: Cultural changes as a response to migration (long-lasting contact with people
from another culture)
- In principle acculturation is mutually happening (migrant adapts as well as host
culture). However, usually only migrants as the ethnic minority are expected to adapt.
- It is not only unidirectional ‘Home culture → Host culture’ but rather bidirectional
Orientation on home and host culture proof to be independent constructs (one can score
low/high on both)
Ties with home culture
Low High
Marginalization Separation
Low
→ Exclusion → Segregation
Ties with host culture
Assimilation Integration
High
→ Melting pot → Multiculturalism
➔ Natives want to remain the ties with their home culture
➔ Dutch often don’t accept it and prefer assimilation, a melting pot
2
