​Activity. Acculturation Strategies and Host Culture Orientation

Activity. Acculturation Strategies and Host Culture Orientation

Step 1: Think about an experience you have had acculturating, or adjusting, to another culture. You may have traveled outside of your country or to an unfamiliar region of your own country. Perhaps you have spent time with an ethnic group or social class different from your own. For people entering an unfamiliar academic culture, adjusting to college may even involve acculturation. In the space provided below, describe your acculturation experience. [Write a minimum of 4-5 sentences]

Step 2. Berry (2001) distinguishes four types of acculturation strategies:

• Integration — The individual maintains his or her own cultural identity while at the same time becomes a participant in the host culture.
• Assimilation — The individual gives up his or her own cultural identity and becomes absorbed into the host culture.
• Separation — The individual maintains his or her own cultural identity and rejects involvement with the host culture.
• Marginalization — The individual does not identify with or participate in either his or her own culture or the host culture.

Which of the four modes above best characterizes your acculturation strategy? Please explain. [Write a minimum of 4-5 sentences]

Step 3. Berry (2001) also distinguishes four orientations of the host culture or society:

• Multiculturalism — The society values and fosters diversity.
• Melting Pot — The society seeks assimilation.
• Segregation — The society forces separation.
• Exclusion — The society imposes marginalization.

Which of the four modes above best characterizes the orientation adopted by the host culture in your experience? Please explain. [Write a minimum of 4-5 sentences]

Step 4. watch the video and share your thoughts regarding the nature of the challenges they are facing. What seems to be source of difficulties? What do they miss the most? How would you characterize the experiences and situations shown in this segment?

http://video.sdsu.edu/nas/user/devos_thierry/god_clip.mp4