What is the process of becoming accustomed to a new culture's customs and practices?

The process of becoming accustomed to a new culture's customs and practices is known as acculturation. This term describes the way individuals or groups adopt certain cultural traits or social patterns from another group, typically as a result of prolonged contact. During acculturation, people may integrate aspects of the new culture into their own lives while still maintaining some elements of their original culture.

Acculturation often occurs gradually and can involve learning new languages, participating in local traditions, and modifying daily behaviors to align with those of the new culture. This process is distinct from assimilation, which implies abandoning one's original culture altogether in favor of fully integrating into the new culture. Unlike accommodation, which focuses on making adjustments to manage cultural differences without losing one's cultural identity, and transculturation, which describes a more complex interaction where cultures influence each other and evolve, acculturation specifically highlights the adaptation to new customs and practices while often retaining elements of the original culture.