Acculturation SAQ Template

Task: Explain acculturation with reference to one study.

Using the template and prompts below, map out an outline answer to the SAQ above.

Task Hints:

1. The term “acculturation” must be defined in some detail.

2. A study should be chosen which clearly addresses some aspect of acculturation.
3. There should be an explicit link between the study and the concept of acculturation – in other
words, it should be stated what the study teaches us about acculturation.

Paragraph Content Outline of Answer

● Define Acculturation
● Explain Berry’s Model of Acculturation
Strategies (with the specific focus on
Assimilation)
● Explain what happens if assimilation
fails (i.e marginalization)
● Explain Acculturative Stress and its
impact on behavior.
● Outline Miranda and Matheny (2000)
as it relates to acculturative stress.
Acculturation is the process of transferring one's
values and beliefs from one culture to another.
This is done when an individual comes into
contact with another culture (immigration).
Berry’s model of acculturation states that two
models of acculturation (high identification with
heritage culture or new culture and low
identification with heritage culture or new
culture) creates four different strategies of
acculturation. Some of these strategies include
assimilation: where an individual adopts the
traditions of a new culture. When an individual
does this without losing their sense of identity to
their original culture it is called integration.
Sometimes assimilation can fail and can result in
groups of people being treated differently, often
called marginalization. This treatment can lead to
a psychological process called acculturative stress.
Acculturative stress is the reduction of one’s
psychological, somatic, or social health for
individuals undergoing acculturation.
Acculturative stressors can include many factors
such as threat of deportation, racial
discrimination, the lack of ability to speak a
certain language, and much more. Fear, general
anxiety, and depression can result from these
stressors and can impact behavior majorly.
Miranda and Matheny (2000) carried out a study
which aimed to investigate which factors in the
lives of Latino immigrants to the United States
would decrease the level of acculturative stress.
The sample consisted of a random sample of 197
(63% females, 37% males) Spanish-speaking
American immigrants (47% Mexican ancestry,
34% Central American, 19% South American).
The average age was 28.7, the average age of
migration to the US was 22.5, and the average
length of residence in the United States was 3.9
years. Participants completed a questionnaire and
tests to assess family cohesion, level of
acculturation, acculturative stress, and coping
strategies for stress. Researchers found that
immigrants with effective coping strategies, good
proficiency in English, and a strong family
structure were less likely to experience
acculturative stress. In addition, immigrants who
spent a longer time in the US were less likely to
demonstrate this stress and showed a higher level
of acculturation. The results of this study support
views of researchers such as Berry (1990) who
contend that acculturative stress is influenced by
multiple factors. The study shows that there are
many protective factors that may influence the
extent to which an individual acculturates and the
effect this will have on mental health.