Forms of assimilation 

The process of assimilation takes place mainly at three levels:

(i) Individual level 

(ii) Group level 

(iii) Culture level.

Individual level: A social individual when enters or joins a new patterns of different cultural patterns, he or she has to adopt new patterns of values, habits, customs and beliefs of the other group in order to be fully accepted by new group. In course of time, he or she becomes assimilated into the second group. An Indian woman after marriage starts with dissimilar backgrounds and develops a surprising unity of interests and identifies herself with the family of her husband. The tendency is to conform to other’s behaviors pattern and differences in the time may largely disappear.

Group level: When two groups with dissimilar patterns of behavior come in close contact, they inevitably affect each other. In this process, it is generally seen that the weaker group would do more of the borrowing from and would give very little to stronger group. For instance, when we came in contact with Britishers, being a weaker group, we have adopted many cultural elements of Britishers but they have adopted many cultural elements from Indian society. The adoption of elements of dominant cultural paves the way for total absorption, if not checked, of the new culture group with the dominant culture.

Cultural level: When two cultures merge to produce a third culture which, while somewhat distinct, has features of both merging cultures. In western countries to some extent, rural and urban cultures which were radically different are, with rapidly increasing communication, merging as differences continue to disappear although they still exist.