Transculturation facts for kids

Transculturation is a cool word that describes what happens when different cultures meet and mix together. It's like when you blend different colors to make a brand new one! This idea was first explained by a Cuban expert named Fernando Ortiz Fernández in 1940.

Think of it this way: transculturation isn't just about one culture taking over another, or one culture completely disappearing. Instead, it's about both cultures influencing each other and creating something totally new. This new creation is sometimes called "neoculturation."

Even though cultures naturally mix, sometimes one culture has more power than another. For example, when European countries colonized other parts of the world, their cultures had a huge impact. Fernando Ortiz talked about how Spanish rule affected the native people of Cuba, calling it a "failed transculturation" because it caused a lot of harm. But he also said that whenever cultures meet, they always change each other.

A great example of transculturation is music! In Cuba, you can hear a wonderful mix of European and African music. This happened because African people, who were brought to Cuba as slaves, left a big mark on the country's society, especially in popular music.

When transculturation happens with different ethnic groups, it's sometimes called "ethnoconvergence." This idea covers many situations where more than one culture is involved, like when people from different backgrounds get married, or when different groups live together in the same place. It's a big part of how our world changes and connects.

How Cultures Mix and Change

The way cultures mix can be quite complex. It's often driven by big forces in society, but it also happens in small ways between individuals. Imagine two groups of people living near each other. If they don't find a way to get along, conflicts can start. But over time, as people interact, they often find ways to live together. History shows us that even after conflicts, people eventually learn to co-exist.

One of the biggest things that helps cultures mix is language. If people can talk to each other, they can understand each other better. For example, children of immigrant parents often learn the new language very quickly. English is a good example of a language that has become a "lingua-franca" – a common language used by many different people around the world, even if it's not their first language.

In our modern world, cultures mix even more because of globalization. This means people are connected across the globe through the internet, travel, and media. So, transculturation isn't just about face-to-face meetings anymore; it happens through many layers of interaction, like watching movies from other countries or talking to people online.

Cultures Becoming More Similar

You might think that as cultures mix, everyone will become exactly the same. But that's not always true! Even in places where everyone speaks the same language, people might still hold onto their unique cultural identities. For example, people from the same country might still divide into smaller groups based on their family background or traditions.

Within these smaller groups, some people might be happy to mix with other cultures, while others might feel it's important to keep their own culture separate. There are many different ways people feel about cultures mixing, from fully blending in (called cultural assimilation) to just borrowing a few things from another culture (called acculturation).

Sometimes, in diverse places, people might show off their cultural pride, and you might see one culture become more central than others. But at the same time, everyone often shares a common language and common ways of behaving. Older people, or those who are more traditional, might prefer to stick with people from their own cultural background. Some people who are afraid of foreigners (called xenophobes) might see cultural mixing as a bad thing.

What Makes Cultures Stay Separate

One main reason cultures might not mix easily is ethnocentrism. This is when people think their own culture is better or more important than others. Ethnocentrism can show up in many ways because it's a very personal feeling.

Religion is often a big reason why cultures stay separate. People's beliefs are a very personal and important part of their culture. Customs (traditions) also play a big role and often go hand-in-hand with religion. When people strongly follow their own cultural parts, they might push away others. In many places, there are two main cultures that see each other as very different. However, in reality, cultures are often much more mixed and dynamic than just two groups.

In some societies, especially in Europe, languages are seen as a very important part of a group's identity. But this doesn't mean people don't learn other languages! Many Europeans speak several languages. They might still see people from different language groups as distinct, but they often follow the language rules of the place they are visiting. This is like the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." It helps keep the "ethnic integrity" of a region.

It's even a common saying that "to learn a new language is to adopt a new soul." This shows how important language is to culture. For example, a long time ago in Siberia, Tatar-Mongol settlers often saw native people who spoke Turkic languages as "their own" and non-Turkic groups as "foreigners," even if they lived in similar ways.

See also

In Spanish: Transculturación para niños

• Cross-cultural
• Cultural globalization
• Cultural hegemony
• Enculturation
• Intercultural competence
• Intercultural relations