Deculturate

/diːˈkʌltʃəreɪt/ verb

Definition

To strip away or cause the loss of cultural identity, practices, or traditions from a person or group.

Etymology

From de- (remove) + culture (from Latin cultura, meaning cultivation or development). This term describes the erasure of cultural characteristics, often through forced assimilation.

Kelly Says

Deculturate is the word historians use when colonial powers tried to erase Indigenous languages and traditions—it's the opposite of being cultured, it's being de-cultured.

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