Final answer:
Acculturation involves ethnic minorities adopting some elements of the dominant culture, assimilation involves a complete integration, and syncretism is the merging of different cultural elements into new practices or beliefs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Acculturation refers to the process by which ethnic minorities adopt the beliefs and practices of the dominant or 'host' culture, while maintaining some of their original cultural characteristics. An example of acculturation is the adoption of the English language by immigrants in the United States, while still celebrating their own ethnic holidays.
Assimilation is more extensive than acculturation and implies a more complete integration into the host society. This occurs when a minority group's members lose their original cultural identity as they take on the culture of the dominant group. A historical example of assimilation would be the 'Americanization' of various European immigrant groups in the US, where they fully embraced American customs and English became their primary language.
Syncretism occurs when elements of different cultures merge to form a new cultural practice or belief system. An example of syncretism is the development of religions such as Santería or Vodou, which blend African religious traditions with Christianity.