An examination of how acculturation and transculturation affect societies, focusing on Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia, and the Dominican Republic.
This paper briefly defines these two concepts and examines how they apply to the societies of Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia, and the Dominican Republic. The writer defines acculturation as the process by which a culture is transformed due to massive adoption of cultural traits from another society. Transculturation is defined as a mutual sharing of cultures.
“Perhaps one of the most clear-cut examples of transculturation is that of Mexican culture. This culture evolved from the pairing of Spanish settlers and the native inhabitants of present day Mexico, particularly the Mayas and the Aztecs. Unlike many other attempts at European colonization, the Spanish settlements in Mexico did not (at least in the long run) attempt to “filter out” native culture (“Mexico”). Instead, the culture of the original inhabitants were embraced, and likewise, so was that of their European counterparts (“Mexico”). The match resulted in a very unique identity that we know today as “Mexican.” ”