Assimilation

The term assimilation is understood to mean the approximation of a state or the incorporation. From the Latin assimilatio it can be derived that something is made similar or adapted (see Duden 2013). This assimilation can be found in many contexts. For example, the term can be mentioned in the course of acclimatization. People who travel to distant countries must first adapt to the new external circumstances. This means, among other things, the time change, temperature and lighting conditions (cf. Spektrum.de 2018). Furthermore, assimilation can also be found in the context of linguistics, biology, learning psychology, and culture.

Assimilation in the context of learning psychology.

Jean Piaget’s theory dealt with the cognitive development of children. In doing so, he addresses two concise processes. First, he describes accommodation, which describes the ability to change learning behavior. Second, assimilation is the incorporation of new experiences into existing schemas. The already existing knowledge is used to classify the new external stimuli into known patterns and to make certain situations appear similar. In doing so, perception can be altered to the extent that the particular situation can be handled (cf. Hoppe-Graff 2014, 150-152).

An example of assimilation is a child who wants to kick a medicine ball into a goal for the first time. The child already has experience with kicking a soccer ball by kicking the ball with the foot. As a result, the ball flies into the intended target due to its characteristics. The child knows that the ball has been moved by his application of force. Based on this prior experience, the child gradually adjusts his force action on the medicine ball so that it reaches the target after a kick.

Assimilation in a cultural context

As with accommodation, assimilation is found in a cultural context. More specifically, it means „the adaptation of members of the minority society to the standards, specifications, codes of conduct, and norms of the majority society“ (Hoesch 2018, 82). Here, the abandonment of cultural, religious, and ethnic identities is often meant. In assimilation research, this view, which has negative connotations, is controversial and currently not resolved more precisely. However, assimilation policies are real, as population groups are often forcibly assimilated (cf. Hoesch 2018, 82 f.).

Consequently, assimilation experiences a negative connotation. Therefore, public debates often refer to integration, although the assimilation process is meant. Examples of forced assimilation by political will often recur. For example, the Canadian government „forced some 150,000 Inuit and Métis children into boarding schools between 1874 and the 1970s“ (Hoesch 2018, 83), so that these children were separated from their families and isolated from their culture of origin.