ETYMOLOGY AND MEANING OF THE CONCEPT OF ACCULTURATION

Abstract

Any system of interpersonal and intercultural relationships
poses topical questions for the researcher and stimulates the process of
identifying relevant answers. Our attention is focused on the influence
of one culture on the other, i.e. on the phenomenon of acculturation. The
purpose of the article is to provide a brief excursus into the history of
the concept discussed.
In general, acculturation (Latin acculturare from ad — towards, at,
for and cultura — education, development, culture) presupposes the partial
adoption of an alien culture by an individual, a group, or society.
The concept applies primarily to knowledge, values, norms, skills, habits,
techniques, beliefs, and language. Acculturation may lead either to
the enrichment or to the disappearance of a culture, i.e. to its assimilation. The term acculturation originated from British and American cultural
anthropology. It was used to describe the effects of cultural interaction
with a new alien culture during the process of colonization in the late
19th century (Powell, J. W. 1880, Boas, F. 1896, Thurnwald, R. 1932,
Redfield, R. 1935, Herskovits, M. 1938, Linton, R. 1940).
In the early 20th century, the term began to appear in American dictionaries
and encyclopedias. The second half of the 1930s is characterized
by a heightened interest in the systematic study of acculturation
processes, reflected in the works of many scientists, namely Herskovits,
M., Redfield, R., and Linton, R. Memorandum for Acculturation (1936);
Herskovits, M. Acculturation: The Study of Culture Contact (1938), Man
and his Works: The Science of Cultural Anthropology (1948); Linton,
R. Acculturation in Seven American Indian Tribes (1940), etc.
Until the 1950s, the research in the field of acculturation was limited
to the studies of changes in cultural traditions under the influence of
Western civilization. However, since the ’50s and ’60s, the research has
significantly expanded its horizons. Franz Boas claimed that alien culture
influenced everyone’s development.
In the context of globalization and mass migration, the scientific concept
of acculturation remains rather significant.