What does enculturation mean?
Enculturation is the lifelong process through which people learn and internalize the culture they are born into — its language, values, beliefs, customs, and unwritten rules. The term was popularized by the anthropologist Melville Herskovits in the mid-twentieth century to describe what he saw as humanity's most fundamental form of learning: unlike other animals, humans acquire most of their behavior not through instinct but through absorbing the traditions of those around them. Enculturation happens largely invisibly, beginning in infancy within the family and continuing through schools, peer groups, religion, and media. Anthropologists and educators distinguish it from acculturation, which describes cultural change arising from contact between different cultures. Because it explains why people so naturally take their own assumptions for granted, enculturation remains a central concept for anyone studying human societies or cross-cultural understanding.
nounThe process by which an individual learns and absorbs the values, norms, beliefs, and behaviors of their own culture, typically from birth through socialization within that culture.
- The process by which individuals learn and internalize the norms, values, language, and practices of their own culture, primarily through upbringing and everyday interaction.
"Enculturation begins in infancy, as children absorb the language, customs, and unspoken rules of the society around them."
"Anthropologists study how family life serves as the primary site of enculturation."
"Her fieldwork examined the enculturation of young monks, tracing how monastic discipline shaped their worldview."
Almost always used as an uncountable mass noun referring to the process in general. A plural form exists but is rare, appearing only when comparing distinct instances or types across groups.
"The study compared the encultururations experienced by children raised in rural and urban communities."
You never chose your first culture — enculturation quietly installed it before you could even talk back.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of enculturation
Enculturation derives from the Latin noun 'cultura', meaning cultivation or tending, itself from the verb 'colere' (to till, inhabit, or worship). It was formed in English by combining the prefix 'en-' with 'culture', on the model of earlier words such as 'encourage'. The term gained currency in American anthropology in the early twentieth century and was brought into wide scholarly use by Melville Herskovits in his 1948 work 'Man and His Works'. It shares its ultimate root with related borrowings from the same Latin source, including 'culture', 'cultivate', and 'cult'.
How enculturation is actually used
A technical term used chiefly in anthropology, sociology, psychology, and education; it is formal in register and rarely heard in casual conversation. It carries no strong positive or negative connotation. It is distinguished from 'socialization' by its explicit cultural focus — socialization covers general societal learning, while enculturation centers specifically on acquiring one's own culture.
Easily confused with enculturation
Acculturation refers to cultural change that occurs when members of one culture come into contact with another culture (often adopting elements of it), whereas enculturation is the learning of one's own native culture from within.