Acculturation

Recently read about a research study based on Repatriates feedback.

The study tried to find out what factors negatively affected their acculturation, when they had gone abroad for an international assignment recently as an expatriate.

Lack of realistic preview of exapt assignment and not adequate cross-cultural training were 2 of the common feedback.

Acculturation or the process of adapting to host / expat country culture is well known phenomena. The process can be differentiated by two extremes, Non-adaptation of host country culture & preserving home country culture; and on the other end, over assimilation of host culture without home culture preservation.

Non-adaptation can lead to dysfunctionality in the host country and most agree to it.
and over-adaptation / or over-assimilation can lead to problems in repatriation.

The golden mean & the most effective way could be 'Integration' - of home + host culture (the best of both).

Other coping styles between the above 2 extremes are:
Separation / segreation - preservation of home culture and non-assimilation of host culture &
Marginalization - Non -preservation of home culture &non-assimilation of host culture.

But for integration to happen, attaction & knowledge about host culture is found to be important.

- thus develooping ways to attactively present knowledge about host culture should be part of acculturation... such a solution needs to be remembered in current globalized economy.

though a persisting problem is what is called as 'Homophily' - i.e. tendency to socialize with others from similar background. Many repatriates confessed to this tendency, even though they admitted it was not as effective for integration.

the coping methods of expats if listed could also help in acculturation. they were mainly:
- socializing with host nationals
- socializing with other expats
- sports & exercise activities
- communicating with people back home (Email, chat, phone)
- learning more about host country, sight-seeing.
- spending time with own family (for expats with family)
- being busy with work
- solitary activities (movies, reading, increased alcohol consumption).

here coping methods are just stated, without segregating them as healthy or unhealthy in being effective. rating own acculturation & coping methods can be helpful for expats.

is knowing about acculturation ONLY for expats or people who are going to work abroad? in an increasingly globalizing world, it is no longer so. Of course, expats should make efforts to be highly functional in host country. But as more multi-cultural work teams are becoming more common, host country people also learn to understand acculturation process to better aid it, as difficulties in work teams will affect their own economies as well.

diversity in teams does make them more resourceful, but tapping it requires awareness & efforts from each member of the team for all of us to surge ahead globally as humanity.