Understanding Acculturation

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.