Environmental Influences and Personal Choice: A Humanistic Perspective on Acculturation

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical rationale for the application of the Garza and Lipton (1982) interactional model to the study of acculturation. The major contention is that past models have failed to adequately account for the highly complex interaction between environmental influences and personal choice. The interactional model is reviewed and discussed in order to show how certain aspects of the theories of Egon Brunswik (1952), George Kelly (1955), and Kurt Lewin (1935) have been incorporated into the proposed model. Following this discussion, the model is presented in detail, emphasizing its relevance for understanding the acculturation phenomenon. Finally, the notion of the multicultural person is proposed as guide to future work on acculturation from the perspective of humanistic interaction.