Acculturation orientations affect the evolution of a multicultural society

Area of Science:

• Cross-cultural psychology
• Cultural evolution
• Sociology

Background:

• Human migration has historically driven cultural change.
• The acculturation framework categorizes orientations by interaction willingness and cultural identity retention (cultural conservatism).

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a dynamic model of acculturation using a cultural evolution approach.
• To identify conditions favoring stable coexistence in multicultural societies.

Main Methods:

• Developed a dynamically explicit model of acculturation.
• Incorporated social learning mechanisms where individuals adopt advantageous cultural traits.

Main Results:

• Stable multicultural societies are more likely when immigrants are open to interaction and residents are more culturally conservative.
• The model's predictions hold even when cultural traits have varying payoffs.

Conclusions:

• Individual acculturation orientations significantly influence population-level cultural trait distributions.
• Formal dynamic models offer valuable insights into the evolution of multicultural societies.