Immigration and Cultural Adaptation
Immigration is the worldwide relocation of individuals to a certain destination nation where they do not possess citizenship. This journey is made feasible with the hopes of obtaining citizenship through naturalization, accepting a job opportunity, or obtaining permanent residency. In addition to the disadvantages of immigration, those who are affected by it struggle to adapt to new cultural customs in their new homes. This document discusses the causes and fixes for these problems.
Challenges of Cultural Adaptation
Immigrants often struggle to adapt since culture actively shapes their behavior. Being able to adapt to new cultural contexts as a result of migration-related changes in behavior, way of life, and surroundings can be challenging. An individual opts to change psychology resulting from cross-cultural concepts. Plural societies are one of the causes of hardened cultural adaptation. Immigration joins some individuals from many cultural set-ups. It forms a diverse society containing groups that have unequal power. Due to inequality, dominance and non-dominance of some cultures have to be considered. Resistance becomes another case where a given culture wants to dominate in a given plural society. If a given cultural group resists the original culture and perpetuates its own, it becomes hard for that same group to adopt such a lifestyle because it will be a forceful act. This will always promote cultural diversity (Kymlicka, 1995).
Comparison and Unwelcoming Attitudes
Comparison between the society of origin and current settlement also is an issue that hardens the adaptation of a given culture. Acculturation should start with a comprehensive examination of diverse society's contexts. The cultural practices accompanying an individual to a new settlement make it hard for that person to adopt new cultural practices. Original traits might appear to be positive to the person compared to the current settlement factors. If new factors are not motivating, it makes it hard for one to adopt new cultural practices. Native citizens sometimes can be unwelcoming. The general perception of the society towards its new citizens can motivate them to have a changed attitude to adopt new cultural practices (Berry, Sabatier 1994).
Lack of Respect and Disrupted Community
Lack of respect between individuals also hardens cultural adaptation. Stress resulting from religious conventions, language shifts, and essential changes in value systems mounts to affect an individual in a new settling place. Disrupted community regarding opportunities and important friendship relations changes cultural activities, hence hardening its adaptation by immigrants (Fernando, 1993).
Fixes for Cultural Adaptation
To encounter these troubles arising during the adaptation process by immigrants, some changes have to be considered. The period of adapting to another culture must be considered and be adequately understood. Strategies aimed at the establishment of a substantial relationship bring out positive adaptation. Integration should be made successful with the immediate separation and assimilation (Sam, 1996). Information on protective benefits of maintaining cultural actions can be helpful since it will promote community integration. Stress that can be associated with immigration is minimized this way. Perhaps advocacy for mutual accommodation will favor both parties in a given society.
References
Horenczyk. G. (1996). Migrant identities in conflict: Acculturation attitudes and perceived acculturation ideologies. In G. Breakwell & E. Lyons (Eds.). Changing European identities. London: Pergamon
Klineberg, 0. (1980). Stressful experiences of foreign students at various stages of sojourn: Counselling and policy implications. In G.V. Coelho & P.I. Ahmed (Eds.), Uprooting and development dilemmas of coping with modernization. New York: Plenum Press
