Cultural assimilation is a political response to the demographic fact of multi-ethnicity which encourages absorption of the minority into the dominant culture. It is opposed to affirmative philosophy (for example, multiculturalism) which recognizes and manages difference.
The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants to a new land, such as the various ethnic groups who have settled in the United States. New customs and attitudes are acquired through contact and communication. The transfer of customs is not simply a one-way process. Each group of immigrants contributes some of its own cultural traits to its new society. Assimilation usually involves a gradual change and takes place in varying degrees; full assimilation occurs when new members of a society become indistinguishable from older members.
Forced assimilation
it is a process of forced cultural assimilation of religious or ethnic minority groups, into an established and generally larger community. This presumes a loss of many characteristics which make the minority different.
Social consequences for Language shift
Language shift can be detrimental to at least parts of the community associated with the language which is being lost. Sociolinguists report that language shift (when it involves loss of the first language) can lead to cultural disintegration and a variety of social problems including increased alcoholism, dysfunctional families and increased incidence of premature death.
For example, Ohiri-Aniche (1997) observes a tendency among many Nigerians to bring up their children as monolingual speakers of English and reports that this can lead to their children holding their heritage language in disdain and feeling ashamed of being associated with the language of their parents and grandparents. As a result of this some Nigerians are said to feel neither fully European nor fully Nigerian. (from Wikipedia)
I think that Foced Assimilation is just like what Dr.Taiba said about a women who doesn't wear hejab , but if she wanted to do something in a place like Sharea universty she have to wear something to cover her hair .
ReplyDeleteThe last papragraph shows the negative side of assimilation , which is mianly losing ones identity , and it is considered dangerous in this situation .
ReplyDeleteI would like to add some examples of how forced assimilation is conducted. The most noticeable use for forced assimilation is in the times of war and conflict. It usually involves forcing the minority or the weak group to lose it cultural identity and adopt the norms of the stronger group. It is probably used because the strong group believes that it has better culture and identity, so it looks down to the weak group.
ReplyDeleteExamples of that are many in history
• Red Indians, or Native Americans were forced by the government to leave there cultural identity and replace it by always attacking them and taking their children to government boarding schools. Of course now, after the end of the conflict, many red Indians are trying to get back to their roots or what left of it.
• Many countries have been colonized and it is became one of the basics to try destroying the identity and culture of the colonized country and replace it with that of the colonizer’s.
It could be realized also that a successful forced assimilation would lead the weak group to the death of its language.