Acculturation vs. Enculturation — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 25, 2024
Acculturation involves adapting to a new culture, while enculturation is the process of learning one's native culture.
Difference Between Acculturation and Enculturation
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Acculturation is a process that occurs when individuals from one culture come into contact with another culture and start to adopt the cultural norms, values, and practices of the new culture. This process can involve changes in language, customs, and social behaviors. In contrast, enculturation refers to the process through which individuals learn and absorb the norms, values, beliefs, and behaviors of their own culture from an early age, primarily through family, education, and social interactions.
While acculturation often involves a conscious effort to adapt to a new culture, especially in cases of immigration or prolonged travel, enculturation is a more subconscious process that begins from birth and continues throughout a person's life. Individuals undergoing acculturation may experience a blend of their original and adopted cultures, leading to a bicultural or multicultural identity. On the other hand, enculturation ensures the continuity and preservation of cultural traditions and identities within a community or society.
Acculturation can sometimes lead to stress and identity conflicts as individuals navigate between their original and new cultural environments. Enculturation, however, tends to reinforce a sense of belonging and identity within one's native culture. The acculturation process can result in various outcomes, including assimilation, where an individual fully adopts the new culture; integration, where the individual maintains aspects of their original culture while adopting elements of the new one; and separation or rejection, where the individual resists adopting the new culture. Enculturation, by its nature, does not involve such varied outcomes, as it is centered on the immersion and reinforcement of a single cultural identity from the start.
Both acculturation and enculturation play crucial roles in shaping an individual's identity, beliefs, and behaviors. However, acculturation introduces the complexity of navigating multiple cultural realms, whereas enculturation is about deepening one's roots in a singular cultural heritage.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Adapting to and adopting a new culture
Learning and absorbing one’s native culture
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Process
Involves conscious effort to adapt
Subconscious and continuous from birth
Result
Can lead to a blended or multicultural identity
Reinforces native cultural identity
Context
Occurs when exposed to a different culture
Occurs within one's native cultural setting
Potential Outcomes
Assimilation, integration, separation
Reinforcement of cultural norms and values
Compare with Definitions
Acculturation
The process of adjusting and adapting to a new culture.
Immigrants often go through acculturation as they adapt to their new country's customs and language.
Enculturation
The process by which individuals learn their native culture’s norms and values.
Through enculturation, children learn the language, customs, and social norms of their community.
Acculturation
Involves adopting new cultural norms and practices.
Through acculturation, an individual might start celebrating holidays not observed in their native culture.
Enculturation
Begins at birth and is often unconscious.
Enculturation includes the subconscious absorption of cultural cues from family and surroundings.
Acculturation
Can lead to a blend of cultural identities.
Bicultural individuals often result from successful acculturation, embracing aspects of both their native and adopted cultures.
Enculturation
Reinforces cultural identity and traditions.
Enculturation ensures the continuity of cultural practices and values through generations.
Acculturation
Can result in cultural exchange and mutual influence.
Acculturation can lead to cultural fusion, where elements of different cultures blend and create new cultural expressions.
Enculturation
Primarily occurs through family, education, and social interactions.
Schooling and family traditions play a significant role in the enculturation process.
Acculturation
May involve learning a new language as part of adaptation.
Acculturation often includes becoming proficient in the dominant language of the new culture.
Enculturation
Helps in establishing a sense of belonging within one's culture.
Enculturation fosters a strong sense of identity and community among individuals sharing the same cultural background.
Acculturation
Acculturation is a process of social, psychological, and cultural change that stems from the balancing of two cultures while adapting to the prevailing culture of the society. Acculturation is a process in which an individual adopts, acquires and adjusts to a new cultural environment as a result of being placed into a new culture, or when another culture is brought to you.
Enculturation
Enculturation is the process by which people learn the dynamics of their surrounding culture and acquire values and norms appropriate or necessary to that culture and its worldviews. As part of this process, the influences that limit, direct, or shape the individual (whether deliberately or not) include parents, other adults, and peers.
Acculturation
The modification of the culture of a group or individual as a result of contact with a different culture.
Enculturation
The process by which an individual adopts the behaviour patterns of the culture in which they are immersed.
Acculturation
The process by which the culture of a particular society is instilled in a human from infancy onward.
Enculturation
The adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture;
The socialization of children to the norms of their culture
Acculturation
A process by which the culture of an isolated society changes on contact with a different one.
Acculturation
A process by which a person acquires the culture of the society that they inhabit, starting at birth.
Acculturation
The adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture;
The socialization of children to the norms of their culture
Acculturation
All the knowledge and values shared by a society
Acculturation
The process of assimilating new ideas into an existing cognitive structure
Common Curiosities
How does acculturation differ from enculturation in terms of process?
Acculturation involves a conscious effort to adapt to a new culture, often due to migration or significant cultural exposure, while enculturation is a more subconscious and continuous process that begins in childhood within one’s native culture.
Why is enculturation important?
Enculturation is crucial for the continuity of cultural traditions, helping to maintain a sense of identity, belonging, and community within a culture.
Can acculturation lead to identity conflicts?
Yes, acculturation can sometimes result in identity conflicts as individuals navigate the values and norms of their original and new cultures.
What is acculturation?
Acculturation is the process of adapting to and often adopting aspects of another culture, typically when exposed to a different cultural environment.
How do individuals undergo enculturation?
Individuals undergo enculturation through everyday interactions with family, education systems, and social practices, absorbing their culture's norms and values.
How does enculturation affect behavior?
Enculturation shapes an individual’s behavior, beliefs, and attitudes in line with their native culture, often subconsciously.
What role do language and education play in acculturation and enculturation?
Language and education are key components of both processes; in acculturation, they facilitate adaptation to a new culture, while in enculturation, they reinforce the norms and values of the native culture.
What does enculturation mean?
Enculturation refers to the process through which individuals learn and internalize the norms, values, and behaviors of their own culture from a young age.
What are the outcomes of acculturation?
Acculturation can lead to various outcomes, including assimilation, integration, or separation, depending on how an individual adapts to the new culture.
Can acculturation affect mental health?
Yes, the acculturation process can impact mental health, potentially causing stress or acculturative stress, especially if the adaptation process is challenging.
Is acculturation a choice?
Acculturation can be both a choice and a necessity, depending on the circumstances, such as voluntary travel or forced migration.
How does globalization influence acculturation and enculturation?
Globalization can accelerate acculturation by increasing cross-cultural interactions and influence, while potentially challenging the processes of enculturation by introducing global norms and values.
Can someone be both acculturated and enculturated?
Yes, individuals can be both acculturated to a new culture while also being deeply enculturated within their native culture, often leading to a bicultural identity.
Is enculturation always deliberate?
Enculturation is not always a deliberate process; much of it occurs through natural socialization within one’s cultural environment.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
