Cultural amalgamation refers to the process of mixing two cultures to create a new culture. It is often described as a more balanced type of cultural interaction than the process of cultural assimilation. Cultural amalgamation does not involve one group's culture changing another group's culture (acculturation) or one group adopting another group's culture (assimilation). Instead, a new culture results. This is the origin of cultural amalgamation. It is the ideological equivalent of the melting pot theory.

The term cultural amalgamation is often used in studies on post–civil rights era in the United States and contemporary era to describe the process of multiple cultures blending into a new, unique culture. For instance, the cultural amalgamation process happened with the fall of the Roman empire when the Middle Ages started and Roman Jewish/Christian culture and Germanic tribal cultures mixed with each other in the European continent. In present day, cultural amalgamation occurs with immigration.

The origins of cultural amalgamation and its distinction begins the moment individuals from one culture encounter individuals from another culture. Each cultural group and their people who represent their society appear exotic to the other group. There is no expectation for anyone in one culture to sacrifice their unique cultural qualities and attributes for the other distinct culture. Instead, there is an appreciation for the social norms, spirituality, language, artistic expressions, food, clothing and rituals that each group brings into the merge.

Social integration occurs as each individual from their group independently represents their unique culture with a mutual appreciation and respect for each member of the other group and their cultural values. The benefits of the cultural exchange are many as it includes all aspects of the other culture in its entirety.

The cultures then combine their influences and amalgamate without dominating each other. This creates a new social structure dynamic where contributions occur in various areas and forms, and all are equally valued.

Historically, the practice and process of cultural amalgamation is beneficial and aids in enhancing both cultures. It improves the quality of life for each individual on various levels, including their respective society's materiality and the nonmaterial.

In the social sciences, one aspect of materiality is described as the use of cultural artifacts and how they are incorporated by the receiving culture for their use. The other aspect is the nonmaterial advancements that consist of the various beliefs, creative ideas and attitudes expressed in a society. The value is determined by the type of impact and reception it receives as it is shared with the other culture, and then extended to more broad and diverse cultural groups. The contributions between the two cultures creates an elevated, overall enhancement in the areas of social capital and culture capital for the combined society, which can be highly beneficial. As a result, each group benefits from the other group by sharing their cultural practices, social advances and material advancements in order to develop and establish the new society.

Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu is credited as the social scientist who identified the term social capital, which embodies the following: