Final answer:
Assimilation is the process where individuals or groups from a nondominant culture acquire the characteristics of the dominant culture, often at the expense of their own cultural identity. This term is used to describe scenarios where a minority culture loses distinct aspects like language and traditions, sometimes due to societal pressures or for socioeconomic progression.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term used to describe the acquisition of the dominant culture's norms by a member of the nondominant culture, resulting in the nondominant culture losing its own culture, language, and sometimes religion, is Assimilation. Assimilation is the process by which a minority individual or group gives up its own identity by taking on the characteristics of the dominant culture, often including the loss of language, cultural practices, and even religion. This process can be influenced by various factors, such as socioeconomic status, spatial concentration, language proficiency, and intermarriage, which are benchmarks used by sociologists to measure the degree of assimilation.
While assimilation can lead to a cohesive society, it can also result in the loss of cultural diversity and may occur under pressure or as a response to discrimination, creating challenges for the nondominant culture to maintain its unique traditions and identity.