What is Enculturation?

It is the process of socialization that helps a person to acquire social norms, values, behaviors, language and other tools of the culture that surrounds him WITHIN a society. Much help in this process comes from parents, peers and siblings that provide the necessary push and pull to make a person learn what makes him socially more or better fit in his society. All people in the society learn about acceptable behaviors and the behaviors they need to avoid.

What is Immersion?

It is a part of enculturation, it is the state where the individual is exposed to the social norms around him/her and engages deeply in the activities to absorb all the teachings given.

What is Acculturation?

It is the adoption of a minority cultural group of a majority cultural group's customs and attitudes, while managing to stay a distinct, although altered society.

What is Assimilation?

It is similar to acculturation, but does not leave the minority culture intact as the minority group will gradually adopt the customs and attitudes of the dominant culture. Inevitably, the minority loses its core and is replaced by the dominant culture.

Assimilation and Acculturation

Happens when two different cultures meet. Although they share some similar qualities, these two are not interchangeable.