These two processes are central to the study of communication and culture:

• Enculturation: The natural, lifelong process by which individuals absorb the cultural values, language, religious beliefs, social norms, and traditions of their own community — usually from parents, peers, and society. A Pakistani child raised in Lahore is enculturated into Pakistani norms without actively choosing them.
• Acculturation: A deliberate and often effortful process of learning and internalising the cultural rules of a different culture. A Pakistani professional who settles in the United States must acculturate — adopting new social practices, professional norms, and communication styles. Failure to acculturate can result in cultural shock, a state of anxiety and communication breakdown that occurs when people are forced to operate within a radically unfamiliar cultural environment.

Both processes have direct implications for mass communicators who must craft messages for multicultural audiences.