Final answer:
In co-cultural communication, someone in a marginalized group aiming to assimilate into the dominant group is striving for assimilation. This process involves giving up one's original cultural identity in order to adopt the dominant culture's traits, which can include changes in socioeconomic status, language, and social practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
In co-cultural communication, when someone in a marginalized group attempts to assimilate into the dominant group, they are striving for assimilation as their goal. Assimilation is defined as the process by which a minority individual or group gives up their own identity by taking on the characteristics of the dominant culture. This process often involves adapting to and adopting the dominant cultural norms, values, behaviors, and even language, frequently as a means to gain socioeconomic benefits.
The concept of assimilation suggests a one-way process of adjustment, where the minority group is expected to lose its original cultural traits and merge with the dominant society. Contrary to pluralism, where groups maintain their distinct cultural identities like a "salad bowl", assimilation is more akin to the "melting pot" idea, where differences are expected to be blended away. This can involve significant shifts in socioeconomic status, spatial concentration, and intermarriage as benchmarks of assimilated individuals or groups.
However, assimilation can come with challenges, especially when racial and ethnic discrimination are present, making it hard for minority individuals to fuse completely into the dominant culture. In such cases, factors like language assimilation can prove to be substantial barriers, limiting opportunities for employment and education, which are crucial for improving one's socioeconomic standing.