Remote acculturation: Conceptualization, measurement, and implications for health outcomes

Globalization has accelerated the exposure of nonmigrants to remote cultures in which they have never lived, producing remote acculturation (RA). The health implications of RA may reach further than those of immigrant acculturation because nonmigrants constitute the majority of the world’s population. This chapter describes the conceptualization of RA, reviews the body of empirical research on RA, discusses measurement of RA, and explores the health implications of RA. The review suggests that RA to faraway cultures may have both negative and positive health outcomes, some of which are also common to immigrants (e.g., acculturation gap between adolescents and parents). Acculturation and health researchers, as well as health practitioners, need to be alert to this new cultural landscape if they are to effectively address the health needs of modern individuals who may be acculturating remotely in their own backyards.