The process of acculturation refers to the changes that occur when a group of people experience ongoing contact with another group of people who differ in cultural values, behaviors, and attitudes. As a result of this sustained contact, changes in the original pattern of behavior may be noted among the non-dominant group of people. The process of acculturation has a psychological and social impact. Changes in behaviors, attitudes, values, and cultural identification are examples of the acculturation experience that transpire on an individual basis.
The process of acculturative impact includes variability and changes in a group's customs and economic and political life. Psychological changes are noted in individuals' attitudes toward the acculturation process, their cultural identities, and social behaviors. The experiential process of adaptation has core psychological features that include skills that are necessary to successfully maneuver through the culturally enigmatic process.
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Gonzales, N. A., Knight, G. P., Morgan-Lopez, A., Saenz, D., & Sirolli, A. (2002). Acculturation and the mental health of Latino youth: An integration and critique of the literature. In J. Contreras, A. Neal-Barnett, & K. Kerns (Eds.), Latino children and families in the United States: Current research and future directions (pp. 45–74). Westport, CT: Praeger.
Nguyen, H. H. (2006). Acculturation in the United States. In D. L. Sam, & J. W. Berry (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of acculturation psychology (pp. 311–330). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Phinney, J. (2003). Ethnic identity and acculturation. In K. Chun, P. B., Organista, and G. Marin (Eds.), Acculturation: Advances in theory, measurement, and applied research (pp. 63–81). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
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Hernandez, A. (2010). Acculturation. In: Clauss-Ehlers, C.S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cross-Cultural School Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-71799-9_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-71799-9_7
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