Second Culture Acquisition

Gargi Roy Sircar & Emily Pimpinella

Second culture acquisition, an integral aspect of the acculturation process, is the adjustment of the immigrant to the dominant culture. In the new culture, immigrants must navigate through situations in which they have no experience, often without a grasp of the language. Immigrants must deal with changes such as alterations in diet, climate change, different customs and social practices, unfamiliar clothing, new employment, and different family composition, as the majority of their family may reside in their country of origin or in another host country. Several different models have been constructed to explain the methods immigrants use to adapt to the new culture and to highlight reasons for adaptation difficulty. All these factors must be taken into consideration when counseling an immigrant client. Models of Adaptation unilinear Model Unilinear acculturation considers adaptation to the second culture as a function of time. Individuals appear to become more acculturated the longer they ...

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