What is social assimilation?

Assimilation was originally a physiological concept, which sociology used to express the gradual process of the integration of heterogeneous cultural units into homogeneous culture. The main ways of assimilation are: (1) cultural transmission. (2) Intermarriage between different ethnic groups or different cultural groups. (3) immigration. (4) invasion. If the culture of the invader is higher than that of the invader, assimilation will be accelerated; If it is lower than the intruder, the intruder will be assimilated.

Social assimilation

One of the important concepts in sociology and other disciplines. Assimilation is a physiological concept, which refers to the digestion process of food in the body. Sociology borrows this concept, which refers to the gradual or slow process in which different cultural units merge into a homogeneous cultural unit.

Assimilation between different cultural groups has gone through a process of integration from outside to inside and from part to whole. The assimilated group did not realize the superiority of the assimilated group culture at first, but was forced to imitate it unconsciously later. The speed of assimilation began to slow down. Once the assimilated groups realize that the accepted culture is superior to the original main culture, they will voluntarily give up their own cultural patterns and traditions and actively learn the assimilated culture, and the whole assimilation process can be accelerated.

The main ways of assimilation are: ① Cultural transmission. Cultural communication is not limited by national boundaries, and it spreads outward through various channels. Cultures with similar national conditions that can meet the needs of recipient countries have short assimilation process and good communication effect. ② Intermarriage between different ethnic groups or different cultural groups. This is another way of assimilation. Both men and women, after joining a new cultural group, are quickly assimilated because of the small number of the original cultural group. ③ Immigration. A stereotyped cultural group or nation will move into a community as a whole and coexist with other cultural groups or nations on an equal footing. Immigrants will keep their own culture for a long time, and the assimilation speed is very slow. If immigrants break away from the original cultural groups, disperse in various regions and live together with other ethnic groups, they will be assimilated quickly. 4 invasion. The invaders imposed their own culture on the invaders and forcibly assimilated each other with the help of external forces. This will produce two results: if the culture of the intruder is higher than that of the intruder, assimilation will be accelerated; If it is lower than the intruder, after repeated contests between the two cultures, the intruder will eventually be assimilated.