Cultural Adaptation Strategies Research Articles

Migración africana y formación social en las Américas, 1500-2000

Around 11 million Africans reached the New World between 1500 and 1866 in what constitutes the first massive transoceanic migration in the history of humanity. This article approaches that movement from the perspective of the history of migrations and socio-racial formations in the Americas. The first part establishes the origins, timing, and geographic distribution of the arrivals using a database with information on some 35,000 slave ship voyages. We go on to analyze how this determined the demographic impact, socio-economic development, African cultural presence, adaptation and acculturation strategies, and the construction of racial taxonomies and identities in the receiving regions.

Cultural Adaptation of an MNC in Mexico: A Success Story

This paper analyzes Wal-Mart’s successful venture in Mexico by following a model of globalization called glocalization. Coined by Robertson (J Int Commun 1(1):33–52, 1994), glocalization refers to the cultural adaptation strategies adopted by an MNC (multinational corporation) in order to cater to local preferences worldwide. A major finding of this paper is that globalization is not a monolithic phenomenon whereby an MNC forces its corporate culture and policies on foreign markets. As demonstrated by the authors in this analysis, even in Mexico Wal-Mart was unable to impose its Bentonville, Arkansas, blueprint of low wages for employees, hard-hitting pressure on manufacturers, uncompromising anti-union policies, and ruthless expansionist wishes. Rather, Wal-Mart had to cater to local tastes in various parts of that nation.

Socializing Children Under Fire: Western Women and Palestinian Men

This paper is based on a study of Palestinian intermarried families (Palestinian men married to American and European women) residing in Palestinian cities of the West Bank. Specifically, it addresses the interface of cultural adaptation and the socialization of children ("children socialization") in the midst of political conflict. Cultural adaptation strategies were typified by the extent to which each spouse embraces the partner’s culture, while children socialization patterns were typified according to dominant cultural setting chosen by the family. The findings show that parental choices of cultural adaptation were reflected in the ways they chose to socialize their children. Conflicts over children socialization occurred only when the parents opted for opposing cultural adaptation styles. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict was found to influence parents’ cultural adaptation and children socialization, deepening existing conflicts and cultural differences within the family.

Overlapping Ethnicities and Negotiated Space: Atlanta's Buford Highway

The unique intermingling of numerous businesses reflecting varied ethnic affiliations along Buford Highway in Metro Atlanta offers a case study combining cultural, social, and urban geography. Studies of ethnic retail concentrations generally locus on one particular group; the Buford Corridor offers a strikingly linear picture of coevolving interwoven multiethnic retail and residential spaces. This research examines the built environment for evidence of population succession and entrepreneurial cultural adaptation strategies in which different groups are over- and underrepresented in relation to their regional presence. Explanatory factors proposed include the types of immigrants, timing of arrival in Atlanta, and host society absorptive capacity as epitomized by key individuals and organizations. The predominance of ethnic Chinese from a variety of countries is noted, as well as a secondary migration How leaving California for better job opportunities elsewhere. An ethnic bipolar labor market enhances assimilation and interweaving of different skill and resource levels in the same ethnic establishments and shopping areas.