Sm Nahiduzzaman
Assimilasjon—chiefly known as assimilation—has connotations of being a controversial and sensitive issue in the cultural, historical, and political spheres. Introduced initially, it is the concept of people or groups that select, change, or conform to the cultural ways, attitudes, and values of another society, slowly coming to be indistinguishable from a dominant or prevailing culture. Practically it does not only envisage the reshaping of idiosyncratic characteristics, languages, and dealing even with the generational viewpoints but also goes very far with adjustment.
Despite being a two-way fairly process, cultural and social assimilation are still vital matters of argument in discussions concerning migration, nationalism, and multiculturalism in the present interconnected world. The path to integration, however, is not straightforward. It is simultaneously voluntary and forced, uplifting and demolishing, bridging and separating. The journey of assimilation today cannot be fathomed without recognizing its past, various depictions, and the attendant psychological effects and direction.
Historical Roots of Assimilasjon
Historical assimilation is something that has been present since the beginning of time. One of the most well-known examples is the Roman Empire – besides the military power, they would also take over other nations through assimilation of a common nation, promoting that the local elites become literate in Latin, adopt Roman laws, and use Roman customs.
During the colonization period, the European countries implemented assimilation policies with the indigenous people-negotiation i.e. eradication of native languages and cultural practices. In America, the 19th-century boarding school system that Native American children were the victims of where they had to relinquish their cultural identity, which is a sad example of forced assimilation. The Sami people in Norway were not only victims of language prohibition and restrictions on traditional practices but also an episode of the history of assimilation that caused them a lot of pain.
These historical examples demonstrate the complexity of the relationship with assimilation as it has been a factor in the development of melting pot societies but has also been the source of the disappearance of cultures and the struggle for the identity of the people concerned.
Types of Assimilation
1. Cultural Assimilation
When minority groups gradually take on the customs, values, and norms of the dominant culture, that is cultural assimilation. Linguistic change and assimilation are very often the initial signs of the whole process—immigrants may change their original language to the country’s language within one or two generations.
2. Structural Assimilation
This one concentrates on the involvement in the social, economic, and political institutions of the host society. For instance, the entering of the job market, university attendance, and the taking part in national elections by immigrants are the examples of the ongoing process of structural assimilation.
3. Identificational Assimilation
In this case, people consider themselves as those who belong to the dominant culture. Frequently it changes into being a bicultural or even a complete hybrid one, where people combine the characteristics of both cultures.
4. Forced vs. Voluntary Assimilation
The difference between forced and voluntary assimilation is a very significant one. Forced assimilation—like the indigenous policies in Canada, Australia, and Norway—usually causes such effects as trauma and resistance for a very long time. On the contrary, the voluntary assimilation is that which occurs when immigrants decide to take on the cultural practices of the host country so as to have an easier integration, better education, or more career opportunities.
Assimilation in Modern Multicultural Societies
Globalization has been accompanying migration and assimilation, which has been resulting in new challenges for multicultural assimilation. The United States, Norway, and France are such countries that provide essential examples of assimilation.
The United States assimilation is typically portrayed by the “melting pot society” concept, where immigrants slowly merge into a single American identity. Still, some opponents of this approach maintain that it threatens the existence of different cultures and also the languages of those cultures in the process.
French assimilation is centered around concepts of secularism and assimilation, majorly through policies that prohibit the display of religious signs in public schools. The two sides are often at odds as these policies, while striving for national unity, are frequently at the center of the cultural preservation vs. cultural erasure debate.
Moreover, Norway assimilation issue has been the Sami people in the past, but now it is the case of people who came from Middle East and Africa. The debate issues at the core of the national identity and the respect for cultural diversity.
Digital technology has revolutionized the process of assimilation by bringing a new element on board: digital culture and identity. They are reshaping the way communication goes between displaced people who are eager to retain their cultures and adapt to the ones of the host countries.
Psychological Side of Assimilation
The process of assimilation is not only physical, but it also affects ones psychological state deeply. People, as a result, might find themselves in a situation where they are battling with their identities—on one side, they want to keep their cultural heritage intact and on the other, they need to fit into a new society.
- Having a bicultural identity can be a great asset as it gives one the option to be more adaptable and thus one can move more seamlessly from one culture to another.
- There are some who, on the contrary, may become distant and disconnected, which may lead to a conflict of belonging and identity.
- The danger of cultural obliteration has the potential to cause trauma that can be passed down from generation to generation, particularly in case of minority groups that are subjected to assimilation under pressure.
However, a concerted effort to integrate successfully into the larger society can, on the other hand, result in one being empowered, having access to the social ladder, and feeling a stronger sense of community.
Assimilation vs. Integration
The issue of assimilation vs. integration is among the most important questions in the contemporary world. The former refers to the process whereby minority groups become parts of the dominant culture while the latter indicates the changes a bit easier and both host and immigrant societies finding common ground for adjusting themselves.
For instance:
- Under the integration regimes, through the coexistence of cultural diversity and national unity, the state benefits become the roots of multiculturalism.
- On the other hand, in the rigid assimilation regimes, the culturation is often rejected, which may lead to the inhabitants' losing of the cultural identity.
Most experts now hold that the future of assimilation is dependent on a balanced model where the relationship between integration and assimilation is not considered to be an either-or situation but a continuum.
Assimilation Case Studies Around the World
USA: The immigrant communities have traditionally gone through the process of assimilation by means of schools, workplaces, and citizenship. Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding language assimilation (English-only policies vs. bilingual education) keeps being intense.
Norway: The Sami people along with assimilation are one of the most prominent examples of cultural suppression. At present, the policies are more focused on the rights of the indigenous people and the preservation of their culture.
France: Due to its firm commitment to laicity and assimilation, the country is still trying to find a way to reconcile national identity with religious practice.
Profession and opposition of assimilation
Professionals:
- Promotes national identity and unity
- Reduces cultural obstacles and social conflict
- Economic participation and increase opportunities
Shortcoming:
- Cultural eradication and language loss risk
- Psychological stress and identification struggle
- Weakening of indigenous rights and minority voices
The Future of Assimilation
Innovation will shape the future of assimilation in this way:
- Globalization and assimilation via cross-cultural media, travel, and digital interaction
- Increased awareness of the rights of native people and need for cultural preservation
- Identities that are hybrid and bicultural getting more frequent
- Changes in government policies tending towards a more balanced relation between integration and assimilation
Assimilation in a world that is characterized by migration and multiculturalism would mean the change from cultural dominance to the concepts of shared belonging, respect, and adaptation.
Finally, Assimilasjon is a very complicated journey that unfolds as a survival tale and a fight at the same time. The whole event is a paradox from the time of the forcibly assimilated native peoples to the time of the voluntarily assimilated immigrants who were looking for a better life.
The question whether assimilation should be the fate of the societies or instead integration, still remains a subject of debate among different countries. The one thing that becomes very obvious is that assimilation in todays world has to be different. An approach where cultures are not eradicated but are recognized as a source of diversity, contributing to both the country’s solidarity and the individuals right to be part of a group without losing ones own identity.
Whether or not the future of the assimilation will be societies that adopt inclusive policies which permit individuals to change their environment while still maintaining their own culture is the question that lies ahead. It is at that point of equilibrium that the truth of cultural peace is to be found.
