Acculturation

elective courses

Acculturation refers to phenomena that result when groups of people

with different ethno-cultural backgrounds come in continuous first-hand

contact. In our age of (im)migration and increasingly culturally plural

societies, acculturation has become a defining feature.

This course focuses predominantly on acculturation within the context of

relatively recently migrated minorities in Western Europe. Though

acculturation is an important theme in psychology, a broader approach is

needed to comprehend it as a more general social topic. The list of class

topics specified below will give a more detailed insight in the course

content.

Note: mainly the core readings have been indicated. Additional readings

for student presentation will still be specified.

1. Acculturation; What is it and how is it studied in Psychology

 Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation and adaptation.

Applied Psychology: an International Review, 46, 5-68.

2. Important questions (Berry’s work and critique)

 Articles from the special issue on critical acculturation psychology

of the International Journal of Intercultural Relations (2009)

3. Acculturation in social psychology

 Brown, R, & Hewstone, M. (2005). An integrative theory of

intergroup contact. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology,

37, 255-343.

 Brown, R., & Zagefka, H. (2011). The dynamics of acculturation:

An intergroup perspective. Advances in Experimental Social

Psychology, 44, 129–184

4. Minority perspective from a psychological point of view: Stigma and

discrimination.

 Padilla, A. M., & Perez, W. (2003). Acculturation, social identity

and social cognition: A new perspective. Hispanic Journal of

Behavioral Sciences, 25, 35-55.

5. Minority perspective from a contextual point of view: Socio-economic

factors, social geography, segmented assimilation and the integration

paradox

 Balakrishnan, T.R, & Feng Hou. (1999). Socioeconomic integration

and spatial residential patterns of immigrant groups in Canada.

Population Research and Policy Review, 18, 201-217.

 Thijs, J., & Verkuyten, M. (2014). School ethnic diversity and

students’ interethnic relations. British Journal of Educational

Psychology, 84, 1–21.

 De Vroome, T., Martinovic, B., & Verkuyten, M. (2014). The

integration paradox: Level of education and immigrants' attitudes

towards natives and the host society. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic

Minority Psychology, 20, 166-175.

6. Majority perspective: intergroup threat, competition and support for

multiculturalism

 Ward, C., & Masgoret, A. (2006). An integrative model of

attitudes toward immigrants. International Journal of

Intercultural Relations, 30, 671–682.

7. Majority perspective: System justification

 Jost, J. T., Banaji, M. R., & Nosek, B. A. (2004). A decade of system

justification theory: Accumulated evidence of conscious and

unconscious bolstering of the status quo. Political Psychology, 25,

881–920.

 Jost, J. T., & Hunyady, O. (2005). Antecedents and consequences

of system-justifying ideologies. Current Directions in Psychological

Science, 14, 260–265.

8. Culture and acculturation; Hofstede and Szchwartz’s dimensional

models

 Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing Cultures: The Hofstede

Model in Context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture,

2(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.10142

 Leong, C.-H., & Ward, C. (2006). Cultural values and attitudes

toward immigrants and multiculturalism: The case of the

Eurobarometer survey on racism and xenophobia. International

Journal of Intercultural Relations, 30, 799–810.

 Schwartz, S. H. (2006). A theory of cultural value orientations:

Explication and applications. Comparative Sociology, 5, 137-182.

9. Culture and acculturation; Inglehart’s theory of modernization and

cultural change

 Inglehart, R., & Welzel, C. (2005). Modernization, cultural change

and democracy: The human development sequence. New York:

Cambridge University Press Dynamical perspective and social

network.

10. The dynamics of acculturation

 Martinovic, B., Van Tubergen, F., & Maas, I. (2009). Dynamics of

interethnic contact: a panel study of immigrants in the

Netherlands. European Sociological Review, 25, 303–318.

11. Socio-cultural integration in practice

 Damstra, A., & Tillie, J. (2016) How crosscutting weak ties are

established—the case of Muslims in Europe. Journal of Ethnic and

Migration Studies, 42, 237-260.

12. Measuring integration

 Phalet, K., & Swyngedouw, M. (2003). Measuring immigrant

integration: The case of Belgium. Migration Studies—Studi

Emigrazion, XL(152), 773–803.

13. Acculturation policy

 Fleischmann, F., & Dronkers, J. (2007). The effects of social and

labour market policies of EU-countries on the socio-economic

integration of first and second generation immigrants from

different countries of origin. (EUI/RSCAS Working Paper, No. 19).

Florence: EUI.

 Macura, M., Alphonse L. MacDonald, A. L., & and Haug, W.

(2005). The New Demographic Regime. New York, NY: United

Nations Population Fund.

14. Case study: the Netherlands MEDIA AND ACCULTURATION

 Duyvendak, J. W., & Scholten, P. (2012). Deconstructing the

Dutch Multicultural Model: A Frame Perspective on Dutch

Integration Policy Making. Comparative European Politics, 10,

266–282.

 Koopmans, R. (2010). Trade-Offs between Equality and

Difference: Immigrant Integration, Multiculturalism and the

Welfare State in Cross-National Perspective. Journal of Ethnic and

Migration Studies, 36, 1-26

15. Concluding discussion

Learning outcomes

 Knowledge of acculturation and its different components

 Understanding of antecedents, consequences and roles of key

variables in acculturation (research)

 Knowledge of complementary scientific disciplines involved with

acculturation themes

Assessment methods and criteria

To be updated

 Class presentations (50%)

As the amount or readings per topic will often be too large to be read

by all, class presentations will help to provide information in an

efficient way. Four or five times (depending on how many students

will enroll in the course) you will be asked to prepare a short

presentation and hand-outs/summary of a paper. Half of the grade

will come from me, the other half from the other students.

 Class participation (20%)

Discussion of theory from the readings as well as practical, applied

topics is central in this course. You are expected and encouraged to

contribute actively and meaningfully to the class by (1) reading the

assigned literature; (2) contributing to discussions by asking good

questions, (3) and generally helping to create an atmosphere that is

conducive to discussion. Half of the grade will be determined by the

instructor, the other half by students.

 Discussion paper on a topic of choice, theoretical or applied (30%)

There is no possibility to re-take (parts of) the assessment, or make up for

a fail grade.

Attendance rules

No more than 2 unexcused absences are permitted. If more than 4 classes

are missed a student will not pass the course.