Bilingüismo

Acculturation

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The fact of moving out the country of residence could suppose a great difference in the economy and way of life of the people who are looking for a better life or new experiences. However, one of the most affected aspects is the cultural one since the different cultures, in most of the migration cases, have a great gulf hard to overcome between them. The following points will explain and develop the main concepts related to this topic.

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The phenomenon of acculturation, which is the transition individuals go through when moving from one culture to another, counts with a great variety of outcomes due to the different impact both cultures may have on each other. These are:

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• Assimilation

• Separation

• Marginalization

• Integration

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However, during this hard transition towards cultural adjustment, individuals may also suffer from what is known as culture shock, due to the overwhelming changes that could be present. This ‘shocking’ process is differently revealed in each person, and it could be divided into five main stages:

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• The Honeymoon Stage: at first moment the individual experiences a great feeling of euphoria and excitement since everything is completely new and striking, all changes are found as a fascinating personal challenge.

 

• The Distress Stage: after the symptoms of adrenalin mentioned before, the individual starts to feel sad and even a little afraid of the new situation; the fact of being far away from his/her family makes things difficult and appears the feeling of loneliness and anguish.

 

• The Re-integration Stage: the individual moves from a melancholy position to a more hostile mood; he/she she experiments frustration and rejection about the new environment and even about the people around them. This makes the individual feel angry and unmotivated, up to the point of detesting their new life and idealizing the one back home.

 

• The Autonomy Stage: after experiencing these negative feelings, the individual achieves the first step towards acceptance; he/she understands the differences and accepts the new changes. This way, he/she becomes more confident and feels motivated enough to overcome any obstacle and to solve any problem

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• The Independence Stage: finally the individual achieves the last step, wherein appreciates the differences and similarities of the new culture as an advantage towards the achievement of personal growth and maturity; he/she feels adapted and comfortable in their ‘new home’.