Which term describes the blending or merging of cultural elements from different societies?

Cultural hybridization is the term that best describes the blending or merging of cultural elements from different societies. This process occurs when diverse cultural practices, beliefs, and values come into contact with one another, leading to new, hybrid forms that incorporate aspects of both (or more) cultures. It often results in unique cultural expressions that reflect this integration, such as in music, food, fashion, and art, where influences from various cultures combine to create something novel.

In contrast, acculturation refers to the process where one culture adopts traits from another culture, typically due to prolonged contact; this does not necessarily involve a blending into a new cultural form. Cultural diffusion describes the spread of cultural beliefs and social activities from one group to another but does not emphasize the merging aspect. Cultural assimilation, on the other hand, involves the process by which individuals or groups of differing ethnicity reduce or lose their differences and adapt to the culture of a dominant group, often losing their original cultural identity in the process. Thus, cultural hybridization highlights the active blending and creation of new cultural dynamics, setting it apart as the most fitting term for this concept.