-Acculturation and Contemporary Theories -Ward et al. (Lesson 3)

1. Dimensions
and Outcomes
of Intercultural
Contact
Acculturation &
Contemporary Theories

2. Intercultural Contacts
• Within-Society contacts and
Multiculturalism (migration & refugees)
• Between-Society contacts: when a
person from one society travels to
another country with a particular
objective in mind
(assist, work, study, play, exploit)

3. Social contact between culturally
disparate individuals is difficult
• Similarity-attraction hypothesis
• Culture-distance hypothesis
• Social categorization process (in/out groups)
• Stereotyping
• Primary socialization process
• Cultural syndromes

4. Dimensions of Intercultural
Contact
•Time-span
-Long term
-Short or Medium term
•Purpose
-Make a life/study in
(Immigrants, overseas
students, subcultures)

5. Dimensions of Contact
•Type of Involvement
- Participate, Exploit, Contribute, Obs
erve, Convert
(Majority/minority, Immigrants, Trad
ers, Experts, Tourists, Missionaries, Di
plomats)

6. Group Level Outcomes of
Contact
•Genocide of original inhabitants
-between societies (American Indians)
•Genocide of newcomers by outsiders
- within societies (Nazi Germany)
Refugee movements often result from
attempted genocide, premigration
trauma

7. Group Outcomes (cont.)
•Assimilation of out-groups by in-
group
-within societies (migrants in melting-pot)
-between societies (‘Cocacolonisation’)
‘swallowing-up’ of one culture by another—
gradually adopt dominant culture’s norms/values
Globalization: diversity reduced, assimilation
policies may be inherently racist

8. Group level outcomes
•Self-segregation of out-groups by in-
group
-within societies (Tribal lands, the US South-
west)
-between societies (East Germany during cold
war)
Majority may seek to exclude minority or minority
groups demand separate states, cultural
enclaves, special schools, etc.

9. Group Outcomes (cont.)
•Integration
-within societies (pluralistic society like
Australia)
-between societies (United Nations, third
cultures)
Results when different groups maintain their
respective core cultural identities while merging
into a superordinate group in other respects

10. Individual Outcomes
Ask yourself:
1) Is it considered to be of value to
maintain one’s cultural identity
and characteristics?
2) Is it considered to be of value to
maintain relationships with the
larger society?

11. Answers:
• “Yes” to both questions: Individual is integrating
(health and well-being)
• “No” to both questions: Individual is marginalized
(adverse effects on well-being)
• “Yes” to issue 1, “No” to issue 2: Individual is in
the separation category (unhappiness/distress)
• “No” to issue 1, “Yes” to issue 2: process of
assimilating

12. Outcomes of contact:
dependent variables
• Behaviors
• Perceptions
• Feelings
• Beliefs
• Attitudes
• Self-references

13. Independent and mediating
variables
Determinants of outcomes

14. Outcomes most studied:
• General satisfaction of sojourners w/new lives
• Changes in emotional adjustment over time (culture
shock)
• Extent to which sojourners interact with and engage
in host culture
• Adverse psychological consequences of failing to
adjust
• Ability of sojourner to manage transition
• Degree of competence in new setting

15. Individual Outcomes
• Berry’s Model: Integration, Assimilation,
Separation, Marginalization
• Ward’s Model: Passing, Chauvinistic,
Marginal, Mediating
At the personal level, both models consider
acculturation as signifying changes in the person’s
behavior, attitudes and cognitions.

16. Individual Outcomes
(dependent variable > cultural-identity)
• Passing: if second culture has higher
status, one may reject his/her individual
culture and adopt the new one (assimilation)
• Chauvinist: an individual may reject second
culture influences as alien, retreat into
culture of origin and/or become militant
nationalist (separation)

17. Individual Outcomes
• Marginal: individuals vacillate between two
cultures, feeling at home in neither
• Mediating: individuals who are able to
synthesize various cultural identities and
acquire bicultural or multicultural identities
(Integration)

18. Historical Perspectives
•Linked migration and mental health
•Clinically oriented and strongly
related to medical models of
sojourner adjustment

19. Contemporary Perspectives
•Culture-Learning Approach: cross-
cultural exposure is a dynamic
learning experience both for
sojourn and host
problems arise because of difficulties in everyday
social encounters; adaption is measured by skills
acquisition; focuses on preparation, orientation
and acquisition of culturally relevant skills, not
therapy
-

20. Culture-specific variables in the
adaptation process
General knowledge about a new culture;
Length of residence in the host culture;
Language or communication competence;
Quantity and Quality of contact with host
nationals; Friendship networks; Previous
experience abroad; Cultural Distance &
Cultural Identity; Temporary vs. permanent
residency; Acculturation modes and Training

21. Stress & Coping Model
• Conceptualizes cross-cultural transition as a
series of stress-provoking life changes that
require coping responses
• Framework incorporates both characteristics
of the individual and the situation (that may
help or hurt adjustment)
• Variables studies include personality
factors, cognitive appraisals of change, social
support, homesickness, premigration stressors
etc.

22. Social Identification
Theories
• Highlights aspects of ethnic or cultural identity
• Linked to studies that define and measure
acculturation
• Influenced by social psychology and
significance of intergroup
perceptions/relations
• Cognitive in flavor
(attitudes, expectations, values, attributions)

23. Contemporary
Approaches
• Theories are more comprehensive than earlier
approaches
• Consider Affective, Behavior and Cognitive
components of an acculturation process that
occurs over time (ABCs)
• Highlight shift from negative, reactive features
of culture contact towards adaptive and active
coping
• “Shock” now seen as skills deficits

24. Culture Shock
The term we use to refer to the
meeting of individuals and groups who
differ in their cultural, ethnic, or
linguistic backgrounds.
Culture Shock is studied within the broader
framework of acculturation theory

25. Acculturation Process
• Changes that occur as a result of sustained first-
hand contact between individuals of differing
cultural origins
• May also be studied within-societies (ethnic groups
in plural societies)
• Conceptualizes cross-cultural transition as a
significant life event in which difficulties are
described in terms of debilitating stress or social
skills deficits

26. Adaptation
• Debate about appropriate criteria for the
assessment of cross-cultural adaptation (what
is a successful transition?)
• Psychological adaptation is based on affective
responses, refers to feelings of well-
being/satisfaction during transition.
• Sociocultural adaptation is situated within
behavioral domain, ability to ‘fit in.’