To Melt or Not to Melt
Theme of the Week: Watch What You Watch
Sunday, November 2, 2008
 1 of 1
Who Said It … Dick Staub
Dick Staub interviewed the shapers of popular culture for 15 years as host of The Dick Staub Show, a nationally syndicated daily drive-time radio broadcast. Now he focuses on understanding and interpreting the interplay between faith and culture. In 2006 Dick launched The Kindlings Muse podcast at www.thekindlings.com. What He Said … To Melt or Not to Melt
In her book The Middle of Everywhere, psychologist Mary Pipher describes the range of refugee responses to their new culture: "In general there are four reactions refugees' families have to the new culture—fight it because it is threatening; avoid it because it is overwhelming; assimilate as fast as possible by making all American choices; or tolerate discomfort and confusion while slowly making intentional choices about what to accept and reject."
While for years immigrants have been urged to assimilate into the melting pot, Pipher reports that a long-term study titled Legacies concludes that assimilation isn't the healthiest path for the immigrant. A fourth option, "selective acculturation," is seen as the best, most sustainable option. In selective acculturation, immigrants retain their own identity while making intentional choices about what in the general culture they will accept or reject.
In their own relationships to culture, Christians also choose from among these reactions—fighting it (combating), avoiding it (cocooning), or assimilating into it (conforming). For them as well, selective acculturation is the best path.
Adapted from The Culturally Savvy Christian (Jossey-Bass, 2007) by permission.
Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today/Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity. 1 of 1
 share this page
I need discernment, Lord, to selectively participate in my society's media, avoiding mediocre and morally objectionable content.
Men of Integrity
Connect with God | Transform my Mind | Live by His Power
Relate Better | Make an Impact
Home | Archives | Contact Us
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Try an Issue of Men of Integrity
Free!
|
 |
|
No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders.
If you decide you want to keep Men of Integrity coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless.
Give Men of Integrity as a gift
Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
RSS Feed
