CULTURE SHOCK

Ainul Wafiah, Rizky Ainun Sulfianti

The movement from one area to another, usually occurs in social life.
Some people have moved because of work, school, or due to the displacement of
family. When moving to a new place, it’s common to feel homesick and miss your
friends and family. It’s also common to feel a bit overwhelmed by the new place
and its customs. But when those feelings turn into a problem, it can be very
difficult to feel like you fit in or like you can be a part of the culture there or not.
This is called culture shock. Culture shock is a unique experience that everyone
faces at some point in their lives. It's a colloquial term used to describe the
experience of being in a new culture and finding it difficult to fit in. It's a feeling
that everyone experiences in some form or another, regardless of their
background. Whether you're traveling abroad or moving to a new city, at some
point in your life you've experienced culture shock. Many are surprised to learn
that culture shock is not a recognized psychological disorder. But the symptoms
of culture shock are real, and can have a profound impact on the way you
experience your day-to-day life. Because of this, it's important to understand the
experience of culture shock. In this article, we'll explore what culture shock is,
how it affects new arrivals, and how to prevent or manage culture shock when
moving to a new country. We'll also look at the common symptoms of culture
shock, and discuss the best ways to manage them. We'll also explore ways to
avoid culture shock when moving to a new country.

Definition

Culture shock refers to the feelings of anxiety and uncertainty that people
experience when they find themselves in an unfamiliar cultural environment. This
sense of disorientation can cause people to feel lonely, frustrated, and even
homesick. However, the experience of culture shock is not always unpleasant.
Sometimes, it can serve as a motivator, spurring people to plunge into the
unfamiliar experience and explore their new surroundings.
Kohls (1979) cited in Rajasekar & Renand (2013, p.145) defined culture shock as “the
term used for the pronounced reactions to the psychological disorientation that is
experienced in varying degrees when spending an extended period of time in a new
environment”. One of the challenges faced by newcomers when they first go abroad is
the lack of adequate information about the new country. Newcomers who do not have
sufficient information about the new country they are going to tend to fail to carry out
their duties due to a lack of understanding of the local culture in that country. In
addition, culture shock can also occur because of a person's ethnocentric attitude.
Ethnocentrism is the belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture. Along
with ethnocentrism, neglect or contempt for the new culture experienced can also
result in culture shock (Rajasekar & Renand, 2013).

Furnham (2010) write there are many related definitions about culture shock but
they nearly all convey a similar meaning. 

The concepts quoted are: ‘disorientation’, ‘anxious confusion’, ‘disease’ or

‘mental shock’ or ‘transition shock’: it is agreed that culture shock is a
disorientating experience of suddenly finding that the perspectives,
behaviours and experience of an individual or group, or whole society are not
shared by others. However, it is also agreed that it is a ubiquitous and a
normal stage in any acculturative adaptive process that all ‘travellers’
experience. (p. 87).

In short, the definition of culture shock is the trauma you experience when you
move into a culture different from your home culture. Culture shock is the
personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of
life due to immigration or a visit to a new country, or to a move between social
environments, also a simple travel to another type of life.

Essentially culture shock describes a dramatic adaptation challenge. There are

many such challenges across the life span but for many culture shock remains
dramatic, intense and unexpected. We have to learn to adapt to a very wide
range of life events like moving house, school or country, getting married or
divorced, the birth or death of a relative. Often similar factors predict how
 and to what extent an individual or group adapts to the change (Furnham,
2019, p. 1836).

Cause of Culture Shock

Culture shock is a range of emotions that people experience when they are
exposed to a new culture. It can happen when people move to a new country,
when they travel abroad or when they visit a place where they don’t know the
language or understand the customs. It can range from mild discomfort to extreme
distress. The causes of culture shock can be internal, such as a fear of the
unknown, or external, such as being in a place where you don’t understand the
language or don’t know the customs.

Based on the concept of forms of culture conflict described by Oberg

(1960), there are several causes for this culture conflict, which are as follows:

1. the loss of characteristics that become cues that are part of our daily lives, both
from a person's body language, facial expressions or expressions and habits
that can provide information to someone
2. the existence of barriers in communication or the breakdown of interpersonal
communication, whether this is done consciously and will give frustration and
anxiety. The form of communication or language that is the point of this
disorder.
3. an identity crisis that transcends its territory and will provide space for a
person to judge himself.

There are several things that we can do so that we are able to manage the
culture conflict that occurs, Winkelman (1994) who suggests taking a cognitive
approach as well as a combined behavior, because culture conflict is caused by the
following things:

1. The form of cognitive overload is a form of new culture that requires

immigrants to be asked to think about things that are not realized by the
natives.
2. Behavioral inadequacies because new-comers cannot know right away what
behaviors are appropriate in different situations

On the other hand, in regard to the causes of culture shock Miller (2008)
concluded that different students also had different reasons for experiencing
culture shock. The differences were significant among students from different
regions. South East Asia and East European students reported that their
culture shock was mainly caused by Language. South East Asian and African
students had more difficulties in Interpersonal Communication. American’s
Attitude Towards International Students was cited as the major cause by
students from South East Asia only. East and West Europe and students from
Africa reported that Politics and Mentality were the major casual elements.
Students of different ages attributed different causes for their culture shock.
The younger students regarded Interpersonal Communication as a major
cause of their culture shock in comparison to the older students. Students who
had been to other countries before they came to the US had less difficulty in
Interpersonal Communication; thus they tended to minimize it as a cause of
their culture shock. However, students who had not previously been to other
countries considered Interpersonal Communication to be a major cause of
their culture shock. There were no significant gender differences (p. 31)

Stages / Phases of Culture Shock

There are various stages that occur when people experience culture shock. Oberg
(1960) have listed four stages in culture shock. There is: honeymoon stage, Crisis,
Recovery, and Adjustment.

1. Honeymoon stage
As mention by Oberg this stage can last anywhere from a few days to a few
weeks, depending on how long the person has been away from their home
country. During this time, the person experiencing culture shock will feel a lot
of enthusiasm to be in their new environment. They will often feel attracted
and fascinated by their new surroundings, and they will want to explore as
much as possible. They will also often feel very excited to meet new people
and start new relationships. 
These stages in general are experienced by important people, such as business
people who stay in luxury hotels, go to the best places, and are not directly
involved with local culture. However, this honeymoon stage will not last long
if the newcomers have to stay in the country for a long time and have to adapt
with the actual living conditions in the country.
2. Crisis
Also called The Frustration Stage. Characterized by an attitude of rejection
towards the host of the countries. This rejection stems from the difficulties
experienced by the newcomers in the process of adjusting to actual living in a
new country, like language problems, transportation, shopping problems added
by the fact that local people are not very helpful and understand their
difficulties. As mention by Oberg in this stage the newcomers will gather with
their fellow countrymen, speaking as if the difficulties experienced are caused
by the local people and culture.
The more difficult experiences will be blamed on everything from the weather
to local cuisine, rather than taking responsibility for their own actions. They
will become increasingly intolerant of the local customs and way of life, and
begin to reject everything that is new to them. They will also begin to
exaggerate the positive aspects of their new home, and become frustrated when
new experiences do not live up to their expectations. In this stage, if we can get
past it, we can stay, if not you leave before you reach the stage of a nervous
breakdown.
3. Recovery
Oberg mentioned if someone has started to gain knowledge about local culture
and begins to study it himself, then he has opened the way to enter a new
cultural environment. They begin to realize that it is a consequence of choosing
to come to a new place. Even though they still have difficulty adapting, instead
of rejecting and criticizing the new culture, they will use their difficulties as a
 joke. The experience that once seemed very difficult now looks different. This
also called the adaptation stage.
4. Adjustment
At this stage, Oberg mentions that after a while, newcomers will accept the
culture in the new country as a new way of life. They will be able to realize
that they are settling in a new place, but they just need to adapt to the existing
culture, because every country has different customs or characteristics. They
begin to understand the local language and the most basic things about the
local culture, adjust to the new environment, understand the rules and customs,
and learn about the local culture. They begin to build personal relationships
with local residents and learn about the local people's unique culture. With this
good adjustment, they can not only accept the food, drink, the existing habits
but they also begin to really enjoy these things.
5. Interdependence
Pedersen (1995) cited in Cupsa (2018) introducing a fifth stage of culture
shock called "interdependence". This stage occurs when the person feels at
home in the second culture, integrating different aspects that enlarge his or her
identity and forming a multicultural (or bicultural) identity. Pedersen describes
this multicultural identity as being, adaptable, flexible and able to adjust to
multiple cultural contexts.

Symptoms

Jandt (2004: 3220) cited in Pradita (2013, p.7) Explains that the various effects of
culture shock are scattered and also vary in intensity, duration, and also the level
of influence between individuals. So that individuals can experience physical and
psychological symptoms as well. Physical symptoms referred to here such as
paying too much attention to food, bed, very worried about safety and health. Fear
of interacting with anyone in a new country. Exaggerating about minor injuries
and always longing for “home cooking”, the worst thing can be to use drugs,
alcohol, and decrease in the quality of work. Psychological symptoms such as
fatigue, loneliness, insomnia, disorientation, restlessness, self-doubt, irritability,
criticism of new countries, depression, and intellectual withdrawal (Pradita,
2013).

Seki (2016) also mentioned six symptoms of culture shock, they are Symptoms
that arise are that our mentality will continue to be demanded to be able to adapt,
there will be an uncomfortable feeling when we are not able to continue the
behavior or character of the original culture, there will be impacts that are no
longer appropriate to the new culture, resulting in rejection of the new culture,
status that has not been changed. certain when in a new situation, feeling
uncomfortable again when the desired expectations are not achieved, and the
inability to deal with new cultures that have emerged. (p. 75).

Moreover, according to Guanipa  (1998), cited in Niam (2009, p.71) several

symptoms of culture shock that can be felt by individuals when in a new
environment, they are: sadness, loneliness, silence, preoccupation with health,
difficult to sleep, oversleeping or undersleeping, changes in temperament,
pressure or depression, have sensitive feelings, anger, irritability, unwillingness to
connect with others, identify with the old culture or idealize the old area, loss of
identity, trying too hard to absorb things in the new culture, not able to solve
simple problems, not confident, feel lack, loss, and anxiety, develop a stereotype
about a new culture, develop an obsession like over-cleanliness and missing
family.

Coping with culture Shock

Hudriati, Ratnawati and Riskawati (2017) wrote several A solution for new
students in dealing with or when they encounter a culture shock situation.

1) Learn the local language; By learning the local language will make it easier for
us to adapt and learn the culture in a new place. One way to do this is by trying to
talk to local residents and also by looking for references such as watching films
that show the language and cultural habits of the people in that place so that it will
be easier for us to know new things.
 2) establish friendships with local communities; The next thing you can do is try
to find and establish good relationships with local people, they can help you find
good places and do things that can bring us closer to these local people.

3) Be patient in the process of introduction and adaptation; Remind yourself that

culture shock is something we should be dealing with when you move to a new
place. Give yourself time to be able to get to know and continue to learn new
things, of course, be patient in going through the process.

4) Keep an open mind; Don't immediately assume that things that are unusual or
different to you are "wrong." Continuing to try to think positively and be more
open is very necessary in a situation like this and maybe we will find things that
we previously asked will get answers.

5) do something that we think we can also do in that place but not to the point of
violating local customs. Finding something that is actually very different from
what we are accustomed to is indeed not an easy thing to adapt, but try to blend
in.

6) Learn as much and as far as you get from the new thing; Having more
knowledge about new environments will make you better prepared and more
adaptable

7) Try to understand the environment and conditions; Trying to accept conditions

is another way of dealing with culture shock. So with this, the next various actions
that we will take we will continue to try to realize that this is something that we
deserve to meet.

Coping with culture shock can be difficult, but fortunately there are ways to
minimize the impact that it has on your life. The simple thing to do is to learn as
much about the new culture as possible. Do not try to fit in immediately; take your
time to get to know the customs and traditions of the new place. This will allow
you to understand the ways that the locals behave, which can help you to better
cope with your new environment. Another thing that you can do to minimize the
 culture shock is to surround yourself with people who are willing to help you
adjust to the new place.

With the correct attitude, a few good cultural informants, a few cross-cultural
communications concepts and some time spent as a participant-observer, a person
will quite naturally develop a repertoire of intercultural interaction skills. And,
when a person begins to move further along the continuum of cross-cultural
understanding and interaction, they will quickly put down ego-identity roots in the
new host culture and feel more at ease with themselves and their surroundings.
They will become happier and productive at work, at home or while moving about
within the society at large. They will no longer be negatively affected by
disconfirmed expectancies. They will understand more and be understood more
by others. In short, they will have become multicultural individuals. (Pujiyanti, &
Zuliani, 2014, p.108).

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