The acculturation process takes place through the contact of two or more different cultural matrices, that is, through the interaction between groups of different cultures, with all, or one of them, undergoing changes, resulting in a new culture. This, in turn, will be based on elements of its initial cultural matrices, as in the case of the formation of Brazilian society. As is well known, the influences that African, European (mainly Iberian) and indigenous cultures gave to the constitution of national culture are indisputable.
It is possible to state that acculturation would be a form of cultural transformation promoted by external factors (contact between cultural patterns diverse) – opposite of that permanent process that occurs within the culture itself, that is, within society itself throughout the story. It is important to say that the values and customs of a given people can be transformed according to a “dynamics of the cultural system itself” (LARAIA, 2008, p. 96), albeit in a slower and more gradual way.
The acculturation process can occur in a less gentle way, and in a more imposing, faster way, when compared to the other mentioned process, although this does not characterize a rule. In a power relationship between groups (between dominators and dominated), as seen in the forms of colonization of the Portuguese and Spanish Americas, acculturation can cause some trauma when it assumes a violent character, especially when the dominated group has its culture reviled by the group domineering. To illustrate this, just think of the way Europeans dealt with Indians and blacks, as well as the the way they tried to instill in these some customs and values, such as Catholicism as religion.
On the other hand, the acculturation process does not only have this negative or radical aspect, but it can occur in another way, which means the existence of an assimilation of cultural aspects between peoples not in an imposing way, but rather Natural. Even because, as Roque Laraia (2008) points out, there is no cultural system that is affected only by what happens here. called internal changes to the culture, especially when considering the remote possibility of the total isolation of a society.
The strong presence of immigrants (Italians, Germans, Japanese, Polish, Arabs, among others) in Brazil, especially from the 19th century onwards, is a very significant example, just considering the influence given by their cultures on aspects such as cuisine and language present in culture today Brazilian. Likewise, when evaluating and reflecting on the consequences of economic globalization, it is noted that parallel to it occurs what is understood by a cultural globalization. The latter, promoted by this advance of capitalism and by the development of means of communication such as the internet, also represents what can be call the Westernization of the world, since Western values and customs are increasingly present in all societies, in all continents. A pop singer these days, for example, can have a legion of fans in the four corners of the world, once the musical genres that please young Brazilians also please young Japanese, Americans, Mexicans, English, among others. Likewise, this is true of fashion trends, models of TV programming (such as reality show versions), and film productions.
This does not mean that national or cultural identities will be lost, nor that they can be extinct, but that it is important, however, to think about the limits of a cultural massification. Thus, if the assimilation of expressions in English can facilitate the daily development of work, considering the numerous expressions and existing technical jargon, it is necessary to reflect on what is behind this invasion of terms in a language foreign. Thus, the question remains: would there only be domination in a truculent way, by force and violence, or could there be one that takes place in a veiled, implicit way? If reflecting on this question seems interesting, one cannot lose sight of the ideological domination that groups or countries can exert over others.
Paulo Silvino Ribeiro
Brazil School Collaborator
Bachelor in Social Sciences from UNICAMP - State University of Campinas
Master in Sociology from UNESP - São Paulo State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho"
Doctoral Student in Sociology at UNICAMP - State University of Campinas
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/sociologia/do-que-se-trata-aculturacao.htm