Acculturation

• • Acculturation


  The process of cultural and psychological change that occurs as a result of contact between two or more cultural groups, often involving the adoption of norms and behaviors of the dominant culture.
• Berry’s (2004) Model of Acculturation


  • Process: Involves changes at both cultural and individual psychological levels.
  • Strategies:
  • Assimilation: Abandoning original culture to adopt the new culture.
  • Integration: Adopting new cultural behaviors while maintaining original cultural identity.
  • Separation: Maintaining original culture and minimizing contact with the new culture.
  • Marginalization: Neither maintaining one’s original culture nor adopting the new culture, often due to exclusion or discrimination.
• Challenges of Acculturation


  1. Acculturative Stress:

  • Definition: Psychological, somatic, and social difficulties that accompany acculturation, often resulting in anxiety, depression, and other forms of mental and physical stress.
  • Also Known As: Culture shock.

  1. Acculturation Gaps:

  • Definition: Generational differences in acculturation leading to family conflict.
  • Examples: Immigrant children acculturate more quickly due to school, developing language skills and cultural values faster than their parents, leading to misunderstandings and conflicts within the family.
• Aim of the study conducted by Miranda and Matheny (2000)


  • To identify factors that decrease acculturative stress among Latino immigrants in the United States.
• Method of the study conducted by Miranda and Matheny (2000)


  • Participants: 197 Latino immigrants.
  • Design: Survey-based study.
  • Tools:
  • Questionnaire.
  • Series of standardized tests to assess:
  • Family cohesion.
  • Level of acculturation.
  • Acculturative stress.
  • Coping strategies for stress.
• Procedure of the study conducted by Miranda and Matheny (2000)


  1. Random sampling of participants from two social services agencies.
  2. Participants completed the questionnaire and standardized tests.
• Results of the study conducted by Miranda and Matheny (2000)

  • Family Cohesion: Strong family support was linked to lower acculturative stress.
  • English Proficiency: Higher proficiency in English was associated with reduced stress levels.
  • Coping Strategies: Effective coping mechanisms correlated with lower levels of acculturative stress.
  • Duration of Stay:
  • Longer duration in the US correlated with higher levels of acculturation.
  • Longer stay also correlated with reduced acculturative stress.
• Conclusion of the study conducted by Miranda and Matheny (2000)


  • Protective factors such as family cohesion, English language proficiency, and effective coping strategies decrease acculturative stress among Latino immigrants.
  • The length of time spent in the US positively influences acculturation and reduces stress, indicating that adaptation facilitates better mental health outcomes over time.