
Understanding Acculturation
The Process of Cultural Adjustment as Applied to International Migration
Seth J. Schwartz(Author)
Edward Elgar Publishing
Will be published approx. on 28. January 2026
Book
Hardback
184 pages
978-1-0353-2536-8 (ISBN)
Description
In this timely book, Seth J. Schwartz performs a deep dive into acculturation, the process of adaptation following international migration. Schwartz defines acculturation and explores how interactions between migrants and residents can determine how migrants will adjust to their new environment.
Leveraging over 25 years of research into the topic, this book assesses the cultural stressors that many migrants experience in their new homelands. Chapters detail the social and historical background to acculturation and examine how daily processes differ from longer-term progression. Schwartz analyzes the differences between enhancement and crisis migrants, covering the unique challenges that crisis migrants face. He also addresses the impact of acculturation on family relationships, due to the divergence of children adapting more quickly to their surroundings. The book outlines how acculturation can be smooth or stressful, depending on the migrant group and the context, and establishes acculturation as a critical part of migrants' lives.
Understanding Acculturation is an essential resource for scholars and students in migration studies, social and cultural psychology, sociology, and development studies. Practitioners and policymakers in politics and public policy will also benefit from its valuable insights.
Leveraging over 25 years of research into the topic, this book assesses the cultural stressors that many migrants experience in their new homelands. Chapters detail the social and historical background to acculturation and examine how daily processes differ from longer-term progression. Schwartz analyzes the differences between enhancement and crisis migrants, covering the unique challenges that crisis migrants face. He also addresses the impact of acculturation on family relationships, due to the divergence of children adapting more quickly to their surroundings. The book outlines how acculturation can be smooth or stressful, depending on the migrant group and the context, and establishes acculturation as a critical part of migrants' lives.
Understanding Acculturation is an essential resource for scholars and students in migration studies, social and cultural psychology, sociology, and development studies. Practitioners and policymakers in politics and public policy will also benefit from its valuable insights.
Reviews / Votes
'This authoritative book by one of the leading scholars of the field explores the complex processes of acculturation in global migration, blending theory, identity, and cultural stress. Through multidisciplinary insights and vivid case studies, it illuminates how migrants adapt, resist, and reshape societies by offering a vital lens on cultural integration in an increasingly interconnected world.' -- David Lackland Sam, University of Bergen, Norway 'Schwartz, a giant in his field, has put together a volume that reviews and integrates, with his usual impeccable academic rigor and agile prose, the key literature on the topic of acculturation - i.e., how individuals and groups manage the process of cultural contact and adjustment. This book is a must for any academic or lay person interested in the topic. And, honestly, everybody should be interested in the topic, because acculturation, interculturalism, and multicultural experiences are omnipresent in today's increasingly diverse, globalized societies.' -- Veronica Benet-Martinez, ICREA and Universitat Pompeu Fabra, SpainMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cheltenham
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-0353-2536-8 (9781035325368)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Seth J. Schwartz, Professor of Kinesiology, Health Education, and Educational Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, USA
Content
Contents
Preface
1 Why study acculturation?
2 What is acculturation?
3 Interactive acculturation approaches
4 Biculturalism and bicultural identity
5 Acculturation and family dynamics
6 Cultural stress theory
7 Crisis migration
8 Micro- versus macro-level acculturation processes
9 Conclusion
References
Preface
1 Why study acculturation?
2 What is acculturation?
3 Interactive acculturation approaches
4 Biculturalism and bicultural identity
5 Acculturation and family dynamics
6 Cultural stress theory
7 Crisis migration
8 Micro- versus macro-level acculturation processes
9 Conclusion
References