Cultural assimilation by substitution is a process where a culture replaces one of its own traditions, beliefs, or practices with one from another culture. This involves switching one cultural trait for another.
Understanding Substitution in Acculturation
Substitution is described as a process within acculturation, which is the broader process of cultural change that results from contact between two or more autonomous cultures. As the name suggests, substitution occurs when a cultural group substitutes one cultural trait for another.
This means that instead of adding a new trait alongside existing ones or integrating aspects, the original cultural element is replaced entirely by a new one adopted from another culture.
How Substitution Works
In essence, substitution involves:
- Identifying an existing cultural trait (a tradition, belief, or practice) within a culture.
- Adopting a new cultural trait from another group.
- Replacing the original trait with the newly adopted one.
This results in the discontinuation of the original trait within the culture in favor of the adopted one.
Examples of Cultural Substitution
While the reference provides a definition, practical examples can help illustrate this process:
- Language: A community might stop using its ancestral language for daily communication, entirely switching to a dominant language from a different culture.
- Technology: Replacing traditional farming tools and methods with modern agricultural technology, leading to the abandonment of the old practices.
- Religious Practices: A group might substitute its indigenous religious rituals or beliefs with those of an introduced religion, discontinuing the original practices.
- Dietary Habits: Replacing traditional staple foods with newly introduced crops or processed foods that become central to the diet.
Substitution vs. Other Acculturation Processes
It's important to note that substitution is just one way cultures interact and change. Other processes might involve adding new traits without replacing old ones (addition) or blending aspects of different cultures (syncretism). Substitution is distinct because it involves a direct replacement.
| Acculturation Process | Description | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Substitution | Replacing an existing trait with a new one. | Old trait is abandoned. |
| Addition | Adopting new traits alongside existing ones. | Culture grows larger/more complex. |
| Syncretism | Blending traits from different cultures. | New hybrid traits emerge. |
In summary, cultural assimilation by substitution is a specific mechanism of cultural change where one cultural element is swapped out for another adopted from a different culture, as described in the provided reference: switching one tradition, belief, or practice for another.
