Acculturation: Definition and Context

The study of acculturation is the study of one aspect of culture change. The two processes are related but are not identical. In itself, “acculturation comprehends those phenomena which result when groups of individuals having different cultures come into continuous first-hand contact with subsequent changes in the original culture patterns of either or both groups.” 1 To put the matter more succinctly, “Acculturation is the study of the cultural transmission process.” 2