Behavior-receptional assimilation
Behavior-receptional assimilation is a concept that describes a specific stage in the assimilation process experienced by immigrants or minority groups as they integrate into a dominant host society. Coined by sociologist Milton M. Gordon in his 1964 work, this stage occurs when these groups encounter no intentional discriminatory behavior from the majority population. Historically, immigrants in the United States have faced various forms of discrimination based on their national origin, religion, and ethnicity, primarily from the dominant White Anglo-Saxon Protestant community. This discrimination has manifested through verbal and physical attacks, social exclusion, and systemic barriers in areas like housing and employment. While some groups, such as Irish, Italians, and Jews, have made significant strides toward integration, challenges persist, particularly for racial minorities and recent immigrants. Despite progress, many still encounter obstacles that hinder their upward mobility, indicating that full behavior-receptional assimilation has not yet been achieved for all. Understanding this concept provides insight into the complexities of immigrant experiences and the ongoing dynamics of inclusion within society.
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Behavior-receptional assimilation
Behavior-receptional assimilation is a term coined by sociologist Milton M. Gordon (1918-2019) in his influential book Assimilation in American Life: The Role of Race, Religion, and National Origins (1964). Gordon's framework categorizes the seven stages of assimilation individuals experience after immigrating to a new country, including cultural, structural, marital, identificational, attitude-receptional, behavioral-receptional, and civic assimilation. Behavior-receptional assimilation refers to one of the seven stages of adaptation that a minority or immigrant group undergoes when entering a dominant host society. When assimilating groups reach a point where they encounter no intentional discriminatory behavior from the members of the host society, they have achieved behavior-receptional assimilation. In US history, almost all immigrants, regardless of how they entered this society (through slavery, conquest, or voluntarily), have faced discrimination by the members of the host society, mostly the dominant White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs), because of national origin, religion, and racial and ethnic backgrounds. This discrimination takes various forms, such as verbal and physical attack, residential segregation, exclusion from the school system and employment, and avoidance of social and personal interaction. Irish, Italians, and Jews, who are now relatively integrated into the core society compared with non-European minority groups, experienced various types of severe discrimination because of religion until the mid-1900s. Although discrimination against these groups has not disappeared, the severity of this discrimination diminished in the second half of the twentieth century. Members of racial minority groups and newly arrived immigrants still face discrimination in housing and employment, which hinders the upward mobility of these groups. In that sense, these groups have not achieved behavior-receptional assimilation.
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