What is the term for the sociological process by which one culture borrows from another culture?

1

: cultural modification of an individual, group, or people by adapting to or borrowing traits from another culture

the acculturation of immigrants to American life

also : a merging of cultures as a result of prolonged contact

2

: the process by which a human being acquires the culture of a particular society from infancy

acculturational

adjective

What is the term for the sociological process by which one culture borrows from another culture?

Did you know?

Acculturation is one of several forms of culture contact, and has a couple of closely related terms, including assimilation and amalgamation. Although all three of these words refer to changes due to contact between different cultures, there are notable differences between them. Acculturation is often tied to political conquest or expansion, and is applied to the process of change in beliefs or traditional practices that occurs when the cultural system of one group displaces that of another. Assimilation refers to the process through which individuals and groups of differing heritages acquire the basic habits, attitudes, and mode of life of an embracing culture. Amalgamation refers to a blending of cultures, rather than one group eliminating another (acculturation) or one group mixing itself into another (assimilation).

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The encroachment of cultivation on Yamino and similar communities has piled further pressure on the region’s Indigenous groups, who were already struggling with inequality, acculturation and the loss of languages. Simeon Tegel, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2022 In addition to disparities among ethnic groups, improper aggregation also masks significant differences based on migrant status and acculturation level. Claire Wang, NBC News, 7 June 2022 Also in 2013, scholars found that acculturation is negatively associated with depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and sadness. Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2022 Rather than this idea of somebody, through the lens of their own experience and acculturation, not understanding their behavior. Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2021 To estimate the level of acculturation, Claritis has developed a Hispanicity CultureCode, that measures the degree people of Hispanic origin retain elements of their Hispanic culture, like language, while acquiring elements of the American culture. Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2021 People see the same experience somewhat differently from the prism of their own lens and that lens is informed by their history, their acculturation, their cultural norms, their education, their values, their parents, their trauma. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 Sep. 2021 Another element to keep in mind is the varying levels of acculturation within Hispanic communities. Isabel Rafferty, Forbes, 28 May 2021 The level of acculturation often depends on how far removed someone is from their family’s country of origin, so immigrants who have recently arrived from Venezuela will have a much lower level of acculturation than third-generation Cuban-Americans. Isabel Rafferty, Forbes, 28 May 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acculturation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

ad- + culture entry 1 + -ation

Note: Word introduced by the American soldier, geologist, and explorer John Wesley Powell (1834-1902) in Introduction to the Study of Indian Languages (Smithsonian Institution, 1880), and used by him subsequently in a number of essays.

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of acculturation was in 1880

Dictionary Entries Near acculturation

Cite this Entry

“Acculturation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acculturation. Accessed 7 Oct. 2022.

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Last Updated: 10 Sep 2022

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Merriam-Webster unabridged

What is it called when one culture takes from another?

assimilation, in anthropology and sociology, the process whereby individuals or groups of differing ethnic heritage are absorbed into the dominant culture of a society.

What called acculturation?

Acculturation can be defined as the 'process of learning and incorporating the values, beliefs, language, customs and mannerisms of the new country immigrants and their families are living in, including behaviors that affect health such as dietary habits, activity levels and substance use.

What is the spread of cultural traits from one culture to another called?

Although certain parts of cultures might be inherent to a group, culture often spreads from one group to another group through a process called cultural diffusion. Cultural diffusion is the spread of any element of a culture from one group to a group that does not already have that element in its culture.

What is assimilation in sociology?

Assimilation, sometimes known as integration or incorporation, is the process by which the characteristics of members of immigrant groups and host societies come to resemble one another.