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CULTURE SHOCK
Annenberg International Programs
DEFINITION:
Culture shock is the personal disorientation a
person may feel when experiencing an
unfamiliar way of life due to a move between
social environments.
(“[You’re] not in Kansas anymore.”)
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FOUR PHASES
Honeymoon phase – Everything’s amazing!
Negotiation phase – Why is everything so
strange and different?
Adjustment phase – Things make more sense now
Mastery phase – I fit right in
I. HONEYMOON PHASE (3 MONTHS)
Fascinated by new culture and see differences
in a romantic light
(i.e. food, pace of life, local habits)
Full of observations and new discoveries
You associate with polite nationals who speak
your language
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II. NEGOTIATION PHASE (3-6 MONTHS)
Differences between old and new culture
become more apparent and may cause anxiety
You might perceive unfavorable events as
strange or offensive to your original cultural
attitude
Students may have extra anxiety and pressure
living in a new country without parental support
May feel lonely and homesick having to meet
unfamiliar people every day
II. NEGOTIATION PHASE CONT.
Biggest challenge is communication
Language barrier may be a big obstacle in
creating new relationships
Special attention must be paid to one's and
others' culture-specific body language signs,
linguistic faux pas, conversation tone, linguistic
nuances and customs, and false friends.
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II. NEGOTIATION PHASE CONT.
Other practical difficulties to overcome:
-Insomnia and daylight drowsiness due to
circadian rhythm disruption
-Adaptation to different bacteria levels and
concentrations in food and water
-Medicines may have different names from
the native country's and the same active
ingredients might be hard to recognize
III. ADJUSTMENT PHASE (3-9 MONTHS)
Grow accustomed to the new culture and
develop routines
Start to develop problem-solving skills for
dealing with the culture and begin to accept the
culture's ways with a positive attitude
The culture begins to make sense, and
negative reactions and responses to the culture
are reduced
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ADJUSTMENT PHASE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES
Some people find it impossible to integrate. They isolate
themselves from the host country's environment, which
they come to perceive as hostile, withdraw, and see
return to their own culture as the only way out. These
“rejectors" also have the greatest problems re-
integrating back home after return.
Some people completely integrate and take on all parts
of the host culture while losing their original identity.
They may choose to remain in the host country forever.
Some people adapt to some positive aspects of the host
culture, while keeping some of their own. They have an
easier time returning home or relocating elsewhere.
IV. MASTERY PHASE
Able to participate fully and comfortably in the
host culture
Does not mean total conversion; people often
keep many traits from their earlier culture
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CULTURE SHOCK TIPS
Try to stay positive. If you are frustrated and have
an aggressive attitude to the people of the host
country, they will sense this hostility and may
respond in a hostile manner or try to avoid you.
Be a participant observer by joining the activities
of the people. This could be a carnival, a religious
rite, or some economic activity. Yet you should
never forget that you are an outsider and may be
treated as such. You should view this participation
as role playing.
CULTURE SHOCK TIPS CONT.
Realize that your trouble is due to difficulty
communicating and a lack of understanding of the new
culture, rather than hostility of an alien environment.
Know that you can gain this cultural understanding and
means of communication. Learning a new language is
difficult, but once you begin to be able to carry on a
friendly conversation with your neighbor, or to go on
shopping trips alone, you not only gain confidence and a
feeling of power but a whole new world of cultural
meanings open up for you. You begin to find out not
only what and how people do things but also what their
interests are.
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CULTURE SHOCK TIPS CONT.
Make friends with someone from the new
culture. Go to them when something happens
that you can't make sense of, or if you are not
sure of what is culturally appropriate.
Make friends with someone from your own
culture. It helps having someone who is
experiencing or has experienced a lot of the
shocks you are currently going through.
CULTURE SHOCK TIPS CONT.
Every day make yourself find something that you like
about the culture. Finding the good of the new culture
can help curb the things you see as bad. Think of it as
the things you'll miss when you go back home.
Be a tourist. Plan time to do the touristy things that the
locals would never do. It helps to be an outsider
because you can appreciate things the locals don't even
notice anymore.
Do something familiar. Make your favorite food, watch
your favorite movies, listen to feel-good music in your
own language.
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CULTURE SHOCK TIPS CONT.
Go for walks. Explore on foot in order to notice
cultural details and get out for some exercise.
Ask for packages from home. Ask anyone from
home to send you a care package of items you
can’t find anywhere in the new country.
Do your research. Know what you're getting
into before you go. Research the web, buy
some books, watch local movies, and learn the
language.
REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK
A.K.A. "Re-entry Shock", or "own culture shock“
Returning to one's home culture after growing
accustomed to a new one
More surprising and difficult to deal with than
the original culture shock
May experience reactions that members of your
re-entered culture exhibit toward you
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TIPS FOR REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK
Accept that you are not the same. You see things with different eyes and
people may not recognize this anymore. Understand that is okay. Remain
true to who you are.
Spend time with those who accept the new you and start making new
friends. Join a new club or group. You can still enjoy your close friends, but
also be comfortable being the new you with new friends.
Understand that most of the time those you are conversing with have little
understanding or connection with what you have done. Others may shut off
because they aren’t sure how to relate to you the way they used to.
Don’t make all of your conversations about your travels, but don’t
completely shut it off either. Your experiences are part of who you are and
are important to you. You can let others know that this is important and it
hurts you when they don’t act interested.
Don’t forget the life of your travels, but don’t hold on too tightly to them
either. It is important to continue living in the present.
CITATIONS
Lath, Jamie. “Ten Ways to Deal with Culture Shock”. 24 May
2010. http://www.gadling.com/2010/05/24/ten-ways-to-deal-
with-culture-shock/
Makepeace, Caz. “Dealing with Reverse Culture Shock”. 23
December 2010. http://www.ytravelblog.com/dealing-with-
reverse-culture-shock/
Oberg, Dr. Lalervo. "Culture Shock and the problem of
Adjustment to the new cultural environments". World Wide
Classroom Consortium for International Education &
Multicultural studies. 29 Sept 2009
http://www.worldwide.edu/travel_planner/culture_shock.html
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CITATIONS
Macionis, John, and Linda Gerber. "Chapter 3 - Culture." Sociology. 7th edition ed. Toronto, ON:
Pearson Canada Inc., 2010. 54. Print.
Mavrides, Gregory PhD “Culture Shock and Clinical Depression.” Foreign Teachers Guide to
Living and Working in China. Middle Kingdom Life, 2009. Web. 29 Sept. 2009.
Oberg, Dr. Lalervo. "Culture Shock and the problem of Adjustment to the new cultural
environments". World Wide Classroom Consortium for International Education & Multicultural
studies. 29 Sept 2009
Woesler, Martin A new model of intercultural communication – critically reviewing, combining
and further developing the basic models of Permutter, Yoshikawa, Hall, Hofstede, Thomas,
Hallpike, and the social-constructivism, Bochum/Berlin 2009, book series Comparative Cultural
Sciences vol. 1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock
CESA. “Dealing with Culture Shock.” Management Entity: Office of International Research,
Education, and Development. Web. 29 Sept. 2009.
<http://www.oired.vt.edu/cesa/currentstudents/cs_culturalshock.htm>
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