Lengua y Cultura- Acculturation. Juan Carlos Lopez Rojas.

The following processes can be experienced as a result of contact between societies: Diffusion: Diffusion is the movement of things and ideas from one culture to another. Some traits will move, but they won't keep their original meaning. For instance, fast food from American Food chains perceived as luxury foods in the Soviet Union. Acculturation: Is what happens to an entire culture when alien traits diffuse in on a large scale and substantially replace traditional cultural patterns. Transculturation: Is what happens to an individual when he or she moves to another society and adopts its culture. Acculturation: The culture of the receiving society is significantly changed. However, acculturation does not necessarily result in a new, alien culture traits completely replacing old indigenous ones. The terms, syncretism and amalgamation usually make reference to those instances in which new traits from one society are blended with old cultural patterns to make them more acceptable. For instance, the Maya Indians of Guatemala and Mexico defined some of the Christian saints as also being their ancient Indian gods. Their religion was enriched by the syncretism. If one society is militarily dominant in the culture contact and they perceive their own culture as being superior in terms of technology and quality of life, it is not likely that they will be acculturated. For example, British settlers of Australia and the Aborigines they encountered. Some other examples of acculturation: Ancient Rome society where merely type dominated by German tribes and they never adopted the language or other culture patterns of their conquerors.

When the Mongols of North Central Asia conquered China, they adopted Chinese culture, so they were acculturated by the people who they had defeated. Contact between societies that are militarily and technologically equals rarely results in acculturation. For instance, France and England. Millenarian Movements: When a society attempts to resist a massive cultural invasion, it could go under psychological stress and a constant culture shock. Under these circumstances, it is possible for Millenarian movements to occur. These are conscious, organized attempts to revive or perpetuate selected aspects of the indigenous culture or to gain control of the direction and rate of culture change. Cargo Cults of New Guinea. Ghost Dance Movement in North America. Naparama (literally "irresistible force") developed in Mozambique during the 1980's.

The goal of millenarian movements is usually one of two things--the elimination or control of the alien people, customs, and values that are threatening the native ones. These movements are deliberate, organized, conscious efforts to construct or reconstruct a satisfying culture. Outcomes of Acculturation Culture: Cultures have exchanged and blended foods, music, dances, clothing, tools, and technologies. Cultural exchange can either occur naturally through extended contact, or deliberately though cultural appropriation or cultural imperialism. Language and Food: Acculturation results in the adoption of another country's language, which is then modified over time to become a new, distinct, language. Another common effect of acculturation on language is the formation of pidgin languages. Food habits and food consumption are affected by acculturation on different levels. Research indicated that food habits are discrete and practiced privately, change occurs slowly.