Assimilation This is the process of inclusion through which newcomers become full members of another group or society. E.g. Theory of the cycle of race relations by Park (1939) who formulated a cycle of race relations theory that focused on four stages: contact, competition, accommodation and eventual assimilation. During the contact stage the racial groups gain momentum, thereby competing for land and social dominance and in the accommodation stage, ethnic ties disappear, leading to eventual assimilation. This theory of race relations cycle can be applied to people and cultures anywhere. The process is irreversible, although racial barriers (obstacles) may slow the assimilation process of some groups. Gordon’s Theory of Assimilation Sub-processes Milton M. Gordon (1964) proposed 4 main sub-processes of assimilation: 1. Cultural assimilation: By substitution e.g., Irish Americans Assimilation by addition: means the subordinate group will take some cultural aspects of the dominant group, e.g., Hispanics (Latinos) 2. Secondary structural assimilation: This implies equal status relationship in the “public” sphere, for instance dominant and subordinate groups in the work environment. Some of the variables used in determining this are education levels, employment, income and housing (residential segregation) The major battle is Equality of opportunity (equal chance) vs. Equality of condition (probability of success) 3. Primary structural assimilation refers to close, personal relationships, e.g., social clubs, families, etc. 4. Marital assimilation: intermarriage.
3 ideologies of assimilation Anglo-conformity model: basic assumption: The complete assimilation of the minority group into the Anglo patterns of culture, etc. This is the most widely accepted ideology as construed during the colonial period. The use of English as a common language symbolizes unity. Ethnocentrisms is highly practiced in this ideology
Melting-pot ideology; basic assumption: The belief that the culture and society of each ethnic group should be blended with the culture and society of the host group to produce a new and different culture and society. This ideology lost favor with the rise of political liberalism in the 1960s.
Cultural pluralism: Horace Kallen (1915), Jewish philosopher, argued that members of every American ethnic group should be free to participate in all of the society’s major institutions while simultaneously retaining or elaborating their own ethnic heritage. He illustrated using the salad bowl analogy, i.e., each ingredient in the salad retains its distinct flavor but adds a new essence to the salad. Arguments and Explanations for Inclusion vs exclusion There are various explanations given to explain individual preference for inclusion as opposed to exclusion. This can be discussed under the following topics. Productivity A team needs to be productive, and therefore the relationships within a team need to be productive as well. When all team members are included and involved in the team process, the team becomes very productive. We have all probably been assigned to teams that were too large and it did not feel like your individual effort mattered. When teams get too large, there is no longer a mutual need for the input of every member. Despite having information or skills that the team needs, individuals may no longer put as much effort into a project when there are too many members. Also in large groups, members tend to have a perception of “someone else will go it”, so there is no need to be assertive. There usually are a number of members that will no longer participate and feel like their time is being wasted. Having too large of a team is a common way to lose the inclusion of all members. Mutual understanding Maybe you have been part of a team where certain members took over and made it harder for others to be involved. Some members are reluctant to express conflicting ideas depending upon who is involved or in charge of the meeting. Overly aggressive members can really stifle a team’s creativeness and productivity. The mutual understanding and focus on a group task gets demoted by the over aggressiveness or ego of someone who dominates a team. When everyone in a team feels free to contribute, the mutual strength of the team increases. This enhances inclusion as opposed to exclusion Self-corrective Individual’s skills in communicating with others and their ability to work with others affect individual preference. Depending upon the type of problem to be solved by a group or team, there may be a need for homogeneity, or a need for great diversity. In teams where everyone has very similar backgrounds, values, and personalities, there is very low risk of conflicts hence lots of inclusion. However, these teams also tend to be more likely to make mistakes and to not explore all of the possibilities in solving problems. They can have a hard time finding their mistakes and correcting them. Teams that have a large difference in personality and background tend to have much more conflict and less cooperation hence lots of exclusion of its members. Collaboration
Collaboration plays a key role in group inclusions. Members are taught and encouraged to work together and support one another. Inclusive groups create opportunities where all members can at one point or another be given the role of a leader or supporter. Conversely, all members can and should be supported based upon specific needs to a particular situation. This reciprocal process of collaboration fosters an awareness and understanding of the diversity that exists within the group as well as in the broader community. Communication There is a fundamental belief in inclusive groups that all individuals are communicative, however communication can take on many different forms. Within inclusive groups, individuals have the opportunity to learn how to communicate with individuals who may communicate in non-traditional ways. In addition, members have access to multiple ways of expressing themselves and understanding others. Group Membership Vs Isolation Leadership Roles Individual Group membership is largely affected by the consensus of informal leadership roles independent of initial condition of the formation. This makes group membership more favoured to isolation. Expressive leadership also leads to group membership as opposed to isolation Role Overlap The more role informal and formal leadership roles overlap the more group membership is preferred to group isolation, this is however independent of initial conditions. Role Integration Integration of expressive and instrumental roles enhance group membership since the leadership is more effective hence a more cohesive group Deviance Presence of positive deviant roles leads to more group membership as opposed to Isolation. Group cohesion is enhanced. Negative deviant behaviors lead to punishments and consequently isolation.
PS: This is the much that I would gather for the assignment.