Historic highlights
By: Fernando Cabarrús
Besides the findings
made by modern Physical Anthropology, History also shows us that migration is
nothing new and that modern human culture cannot be comprehended without the
fact that humans, for many different reasons, move from one place to another.
There are some
important terms that have been defined by sociologists, anthropologists,
psychologists, and other social scientists that might help us understand what
happen with groups of people, societies, and individuals when migration takes
place:
Acculturation:
a dynamic and multidimensional process of adaptation that occurs when distinct
cultures come into sustained contact. It involves different degrees and
instances of culture learning and maintenance that are contingent upon
individual, group, and environmental factors. Acculturation is dynamic because
it is a continuous and fluctuating process and it is multidimensional because
it transpires across numerous indices of psychosocial functioning and can
result in multiple adaptation outcomes.
The adoption of the cultural norms
and behavioral patterns of the majority group (often called the “core culture”).
The changes implied in the acculturation process were more rapid among external
traits (such as clothing, language, outward expression of emotions) while the
more intrinsic personal characteristics (such as values, norms, or religious
beliefs) would take longer to change if at all.
Structural
assimilation: Defined as the incorporation of members of ethnic groups into
primary relationships (e.g., social clubs, marriage) with individuals from the
majority group.
Acculturative
strategy: the attitudes or orientation that an individual assumes toward the
culture of origin (or “heritage culture”) and toward the other group or groups.
- Assimilation.
When an individual wishes to diminish or decrease the significance of the
culture of origin and desires to identify and interact primarily with the other
culture, typically with the dominant culture if one comes from an ethnic
minority group.
- Separation.
Whenever the individual wishes to hold on to the original culture and avoids
interacting or learning about the other culture(s).
- Marginalization.
Individuals show little involvement in maintaining the culture of origin or in
learning about the other culture(s).
- Integration.
When a person shows an interest in maintaining the original culture and in
learning and participating in the other culture(s).
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Attitude towards keeping heritage culture and
identity
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Positive
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Negative
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Attitude toward learning and interacting with
the new culture
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Positive
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Integration
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Assimilation
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Negative
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Separation
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Enculturation: Phenomenon that can also be considered as another model of acculturation, which is often found among individuals who are three or four generation removed from a particular ethnic or cultural group and who wish now to rediscover those cultural and ethnic roots and make them part of their attitudinal and behavioral repertoire [5].
Due to political, economic, social, cultural or religious situations or crises, different societies have interacted with others in different conditions and scenarios yielding unthinkable results. This is particularly easy to picture through maps as shown next
Alexander the Great’s Greek Empire
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https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/
Map-Depicting-the-Empire-of-Alexander-the-Great
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The Roman Empire
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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roman_Empire_full_-_Referenced.jpg
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Expansion of Islam
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http://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum213/Maps/Maps3HistoryMiddle.htm
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The columbian exchange
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https://www.thinglink.com/scene/596923215557689346
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