Assimilation waves Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assimilation waves - Essay Example Cultural pluralism arises when smaller groups within a larger society maintain their unique cultural identities, values, and beliefs which become accepted by the larger culture as long as they are in line with the provided laws and values of the greater society. In this context, ethnic groups co-exist side by side while at the same time showing respect for other cultures that exist around them. Ethnic groups in America should be free to engage in the activities of the society’s major activities while at the same time able to retain their own ethnic heritage and identity. Thus the main strength of this theory is that it allows ethnic groups to retain their cultural ideologies It has to do with the conformity to the fixed standards, regulations and requirements so as to feel part of given society. This theory advocated for the immigrants to learn English language adaptation of norms, values, and ideologies in order to conform to the integral Anglo-American society as well as the greater Anglo-Saxon community. The United States came up with various concepts in a bid to explain what was meant to be called an American. Therefore, the immigrants had to change their way of life in order to accommodate new ideologies such as civil rituals, the English language and other aspects of the American culture. The weakness of this theory is that it ruins the patterns of life of given ethnic group as they seek to conform to another culture which in essence demeans a particular group.