Acculturative stress is the psychological discomfort an individual experiences when their culture and way of life conflict with another culture. This can be either a change in culture or lifestyle or moving from one cultural setting to another.
The term acculturative stress was coined in the 1950s by sociologists John W. Berry, anthropologist Ralph Linton and others. They were interested in understanding how immigrants adjust when they move from their home country into a new setting that is different from what’s familiar for them.
The idea of “culture shock” has been around since anthropologist Ruth Benedict first used it during World War II. In her study, she observed Japanese-Americans adjusting back after being interned at camps on United States soil following the Pearl Harbor attack. Still, nowadays, there are many other terms like culture fatigue or cultural adjustment disorder which may be more accurate ways to describe this phenomenon because not all people experience distress with change.
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What is acculturative stress?
Acculturative stress is the result of a mismatch between one’s culture and a new environment.
There are many different words to describe the feeling of being overwhelmed by culture shock. The most common term used is “culture fatigue”, and it’s not hard to see why. A person who has never been outside their home country may be overwhelmed with how different everything seems in a new country. Still, they may also feel like they can’t relate to anyone around them because no one else shares their values or experiences from back home, creating anxiety and dread.
The term “culture fatigue” is a more accurate way to describe the feeling of being overwhelmed by culture shock. Not all people experience distress and anxiety with change, but those who do can find it difficult and overwhelming when they are in an environment that doesn’t match their cultural values or experiences from back home.
A more technical term for this phenomenon is called acculturative stress, which describes the cumulative physical and mental burden placed on individuals as they struggle with adapting to new cultural expectations and norms. It occurs when a person feels pressure between two sets of cultures: the culture into which they were born and their current residence culture.
Acculturative stress is also the psychological discomfort that an individual experiences when their original culture and way of life conflict with another culture. This can be either a change in culture or lifestyle or moving from one cultural setting to another.
The physical manifestations of acculturative stress include nausea, skin rashes, insomnia, weight loss or gain due to changes in diet habits, and hair loss. Psychological symptoms of acculturative stress are similar but may include depression, anxiety and social withdrawal, as well as feelings of guilt and shame about not living up to expectations that might have been set by family members who moved before them.
What is an example of Acculturative stress?
An example of acculturative stress is when an immigrant group tries hard to assimilate into society but fails because there are insufficient support mechanisms set up for them. Such instances occur with new arrivals that are still feeling unwelcome despite having a good work ethic.
When immigrants are in a new environment, they may have to learn how things work and what is expected of them in the mainstream culture. This anticipation can cause stress and other psychological problems because it takes time for someone who has never been exposed before or those with limited knowledge about the culture/society that he’s now living within; this will take some cultural adaptation on their part, which may create more stressors.
What are the common causes of acculturative stress?
The most common causes are language barriers, cultural differences, and discrimination. It has been shown that people of different cultures have difficulty understanding one another due to the lack of a shared vocabulary or common ways to express themselves.
Communication difficulty often leads to misinterpretation, which can lead to conflict between groups and individuals within the same groups that may feel discriminated against by their kind. This intragroup conflict can arise due to some members not sharing certain traits that other members hold dear, like pride over heritage culture. Such a conflict is more specifically true in ethnic minority groups trying hard to assimilate into society but are failing because there are no support mechanisms set up for them.
Another major cause of acculturative stress is not adjusting to their new environment and integrating with others.
Also, people experience acculturative stress because they feel like they don’t belong in either culture and are rejecting both sides of themselves: “I’m not American enough” or “I’m not Mexican anymore.” They often have a deep sense of perceived discrimination.
Other causes of acculturative stress include relocation due to work or education, immigration, marriage into an unfamiliar culture or military service.
Furthermore, the stress contagion effect can influence acculturative stress in immigrant families.
What is the stress contagion effect?
The stress contagion effect is a phenomenon in which one person’s mood affects the spirit of another. It has been shown that an individual’s levels of happiness, sadness or anger can induce similar feelings in those around them.
One of the most intriguing facets of human nature is that we have this innate quality to empathize with others. This means, for example, if you are feeling down in your day and someone says something nice or tells a joke, it might make you feel better.
Similarly, when somebody sees another person with an emotional outburst, they will often ask, “what happened?” even though there may be no way for them to know what caused their anger. In like manner, the acculturation-related emotional distress experienced by a member of an immigrant family can easily permeate to other family members who did not have such acculturation experience. Stress contagion effects often manifest in depressive symptoms and feelings of hopelessness in immigrant families.
What environmental factors cause acculturative stress?
The environmental factors that cause this type of stress may include differences in food, language, climate, and customs.
The first environmental factor which can lead to acculturative stress is a difference in food. The individual may not be used to the new type of cuisine, and it could take time for them to adjust their taste buds, or they might find themselves craving what was familiar from home, like kimchi among Korean immigrants, for example.
According to Berry, Kim and others in 1987, the environment includes dominant cultural patterns transmitted through various channels like the educational system, mass media, social institutions such as churches, mosques and synagogues etc., and pre-existing social networks. When an individual is exposed to a new culture, cultural differences surface.
Acculturation’s adverse effects arise from the inability to balance old and new cultural values. The imminent cultural difference is a risk factor for acculturation stress.
Acculturative stress may also be the result of prejudice and discrimination. This type of stress may be experienced by immigrants who are in the process of adapting to a new culture. These individuals may face some social restrictions which prevent them from fully participating as members within their host nation’s mainstream society
What are the implications of acculturative stress in immigrant families?
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t has been observed that immigrants who are experiencing this form of stress have poorer physical and mental health and lower educational achievement.
In addition to these negative impacts on their lives, acculturative stress also affects family life by creating conflicts between parents and children, leading to a sense of isolation or confusion for immigrant families.
The causes and effects of acculturative stress vary depending on individual circumstances, including age, gender, ethnicity/race, and native language spoken at home before immigration (e.g., Spanish or Arabic). Other factors are the length of time living abroad (i.e., duration in the new country), the degree to which one feels like an outsider or like a part of the host society, and socioeconomic status.
Many factors moderate these effects. These include whether one is an immigrant who has recently arrived in the host country versus someone born in the country of origin but raised in the host country and has lived there for many years as a well-established citizen with strong ties to both cultures.
Much research has been done on acculturative stress, which refers to how immigrants may experience psychological distress due to a cultural shock when moving from one culture to another. This shock can be triggered by feelings of isolation, loss of ethnic identity and fear and uncertainty about their future in their new country.
Research shows that there are five stages people go through when they’re faced with acculturative stress: 1) denial or disbelief; 2) anger or apathy; 3) depression or withdrawal; 4) re-entry into daily life with renewed vigor; and 5) acceptance of the new culture. These stages define the individual’s acculturation attitudes and the acculturation process.
The type of acculturation strategy adopted by each individual also affects the nature and severity of the stress experienced, and their psychological well being.
What is acculturation and what are the four acculturation strategies?
Acculturation is a broad term meaning the adoption or incorporation of aspects from one culture into another in the transition from one culture to another.
Also, acculturation is a term sometimes used in referring to a transition from one culture to another. This can occur when, for example, a person moves to a new cultural environment or when a person born into a particular culture becomes immersed in another culture.
People use four acculturation strategies to cope with the stress associated with moving from one culture to another. These include Assimilation, Integration, Separation and Marginalization.
Assimilation is the process of adopting and accepting new culture. This strategy can be seen as an attempt to avoid conflict by fully integrating into one’s environment. Still, it also entails giving up parts or all aspects of their original cultural heritage not to feel different from members of the new culture.
Assimilation can be voluntary, such as when immigrants come to another country like the United States or Great Britain in search of opportunity. It may also happen involuntarily due to violence (e g., war and genocide like in the Sudan and Rwanda) that forces people into exile from home countries where they have lived all along with strong ties. Involuntary assimilation offers a range of protective factors for immigrants dislodge by war in their countries of origin and offers counteracts most negative pre-immigration factors. Involuntary assimilation often leads to positive mental health outcomes for those that have suffered the trauma of displacement in their country of origin
The aim here then becomes not just understanding what happens during this transition period between cultures-the stressors involved – but also to provide some coping mechanisms and strategies for dealing with the change in the dominant culture
Integration means embracing both cultures simultaneously while still maintaining distinctiveness; this may involve keeping some traditions associated with your native country alive, like food preferences.
This approach allows people who have moved away to maintain connections back home (Wong). Integration does require more effort from those concerned because they must continually balance two worlds at once. An international student, for example, would often expereince this dilemma. This balancing act can become a stressor and lead to higher levels of stress and feelings of alienation over time.
The feeling is often described as being torn between the old and new cultures, leading one’s self into an ethnic identity crisis. It becomes difficult for them to identify themselves in either culture while still maintaining their individuality. (Bhattacharjee) This can also be seen when immigrants try too hard not to assimilate by only following customs from their homeland; however, these actions create distance rather than closeness within the community.
Separation is an acculturation strategy that involves distancing oneself from the dominant or host culture and staying loyal to one’s culture of origin.
Separation is often seen as an easier option than Integration because it does not require any effort to balance the two worlds at once. Nonetheless, this can lead people into feeling isolated or alone in the host country, which may be just another form of isolation (Bhattacharjee).
This strategy also has drawbacks when immigrants cannot thrive for many reasons, like language barriers that make them feel unwelcome within the host society (Wong). Such immigrants have limited educationl attainment needed for gainful employment. Many of them have undocumented immigration status and with lack of social support remain within the poverty line.
It becomes difficult then if Separation leads someone back home while still maintaining contact with others who have chosen different paths (e.g., those remaining abroad). Experts have argued that there should always exist “a sense” of home to maintain mental health.
It is essential for immigrants (e.g., Hispanic or Latino immigrants, Asian American immigrants, in the United States, or Asian or African immigrants in the United Kingdom) as they choose their path of integration or separation to take care and be mindful of themselves and others in their community. (Bhattacharjee)
Adults need to be aware of the children involved because it may lead some immigrant parents to feel like failures when trying hard to integrate while still maintaining contact with the family back “home”. Their children born in the host culture may then find adaptation to the dominant culture challenging as a result. The conflict in these children often manifests as problem behaviour at school. (Wong).
Marginalization is the fourth acculturation strategy. It involves the immigrant being marginalized from the host society. This is when an individual feels like a foreigner and may be rejected by their adopted country because of this.
This experience of acculturation can happen to immigrants who have been living in the host country for generations as well.
What are the benefits and challenges of each acculturation strategy?
The strategies determine the effects of acculturation.
The benefit of Assimilation is that the host society can entirely accept one. The challenge to Assimilation is that one will have a hard time maintaining one’s original cultural identity.
Integration benefits are being able to integrate into society while maintaining your original culture without feeling like you have lost anything from home. Integration requires such an intense level of commitment by those who choose this strategy; this may cause acculturation stress itself.
There aren’t any significant challenges explicitly associated, but there might just be too much pressure when trying so desperately to succeed at two things simultaneously (integration/maintaining), especially since these strategies don’t come naturally.
What about Separation or Marginalization? Separating oneself from the host culture may seem like an easy solution. Still, it does not work for everyone because those who choose separation lose out on the host culture’s many opportunities. The benefit of Separation is that one can maintain a cultural identity.
Marginalizing means being left without any support system, which often leads individuals concerned with poverty-stricken areas within cities. Such people feel hopeless, sometimes resort to problematic alcohol and drug use, experience symptoms of anxiety, mental health issues, and resort to suicide if no other options present themselves.
The benefit to Marginalization is that one can feel a sense of belonging. A challenge with marginalizing is poor adaptation and its consequences, including the difficulty in finding work and making friends in the larger society. Consequently, the risk of engaging in criminality and antisocial behaviour by adults and their children is heightened.
Acculturation and Acculturative stress
When relocating from one country to another, most people have to deal with acculturative stress. As they learn about the new culture’s customs and norms, they will have to make decisions about how they want to fit in, and these choices will affect their sense of belonging and influence their self-esteem.
There is a strong relationship between acculturation and acculturative stress. The acculturation process and several acculturation-related risk factors can influence acculturative stress. These factors generally fall into three categories: motivation, expectations, and environmental factors.
The first category is motivation. This includes things like the individual’s reasons for moving to a new country, their level of commitment and how much they want or need a change to be successful at adapting.
Expectations are also an important factor that can cause acculturative stress because it relates into one’s motivations as well. People who have high expectations about what life will look like living abroad may feel more stressed if those hopes don’t come true.
The third type falls under environmental factors, including culture shock (a feeling caused by being immersed with unfamiliar customs), language barriers (e.g., poor English language proficiency if in the United States or Great Britain), difficulties adjusting culturally due to lack of understanding of some norms, etc. These three categories all relate together, but each has its trajectory. The consequences of the interaction of these risk factors include low educational attainment, poor psychological health, limited acculturation preferences, and heightened levels of anxiety.
Motivation is the deciding factor of how well someone will adapt to a new culture. If they are strongly motivated to integrate into the new culture, there is a greater likelihood that they will succeed.
On the other hand, conflicting motivations can cause problems. Suppose a person is motivated to go back home but also wants to succeed in the new culture. In that case, he or she may experience identity confusion, and this can cause psychological stress. Furthermore, separation from family may also have an adverse effect on family cohesion in the medium and long-term. Having a resilient cognitive style is key to overcoming these problems.
Tips for reducing acculturative stress level?
Strategies to cope with acculturative stress vary depending on the situation. As such, it is vital that you find a plan which best suits your needs and personality. Some strategies include talking about how you feel or writing in an emotional journal. Also, making time for yourself can be helpful and finding someone, a friend or family member, can give you support during this challenging period of change.
Some people may turn towards alcohol abuse while others might withdraw into themselves. It takes time before someone adjusts completely. So, patience should always play a role during these periods.
You can try some deep breathing exercises whenever you feel overwhelmed or out of control. This will help regulate the body’s functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure levels, and muscle tension, thus reducing anxiety symptoms that rapid changes and culture shock bring about.
Get plenty of sleep at night so that daytime functioning is not impaired due to exhaustion. Try going on a power nap during the day if possible.
Keep learning how life works in the new culture while taking care of yourself through daily exercise. Doing so will help you feel more in control of your life.
Keep a journal to document feelings, thoughts or ideas that come up during the transitional period. This can be done privately on pen and or digitally. Also, record any coping strategies you find helpful when feeling stressed out from acculturative stressors like loneliness from being far away from family members.
Talk with friends and family about your feelings. This is important because it can help you feel less alone and give them a chance to support you. Friends may also offer advice on how they dealt or might deal with similar situations and context, offering you new perspectives to make coping easier.
Find opportunities where others who share similar cultural backgrounds like yours have been successful. For example, if someone else has had success finding social connections with other college students or work colleagues by joining clubs related to cultural interests, then maybe something similar will work for you.
The first thing to keep in mind is that acculturative stress is a normal part of culture change. Almost all people experience some sort of stress when they initially move to another country. Besides, you might also find that there are both positive and negative aspects to culture change. For example, you may enjoy making new friends or finding that your new school or college experience is enjoyable.
The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone. Everyone who has ever moved to a new culture has felt the same type of stress and worry which you are feeling now. You can cope with acculturative stress by using strategies that have worked for other people in similar situations.