CULTURE SHOCK

WHAT IS CULTURE SHOCK ?

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 environment,also a simple travel to
another type of life.
CULTURE SHOCK {DEFINITION}

• The difficulty have adjusting to new culture people had different

markedly from their own.
• Emotional and physical discomfort that person feels while moving
to new environtment.
• A “sudden exposure to unfamiliar culture.”
• Is a normal but unpleasant and negative experience.
• Is a reaction to : Language,travel,jet
lag,climate,food,clothing,customs,etc.
• Anxiety that one suffers when coming to live in another country or
a place that is different from the place of origin.
 SYMPTOMS OF CULTURE SHOCK

• Isolation and frustration,feeling depressed,powerless

• Sleeping a lot,or even insomnia
• Nervousness,lack of confidence
• Home sickness,longing for family
• Crying,anger,unwillingness to interact with others
• Sadness,feels miserable
• Loneliness,loss of identity
• Anxiety,aches,pain,allergies
• Trouble concentration
• Seeking the company of people from your country
• Melancholy
 WHAT CAUSES CULTURE
SHOCK ?
• Information overload – too much new culture,all at once
• Role shifting – my normal relationship,job,identity are
gone
• Personal shock – I’m tired,confused,lost
 HOW AND CONDITION OF CULTURE
SHOCK ?

KALVERO OBERG (AN ANTHROPOLOGIST)

“Culture shock is brough on by the anxiety that resulted
from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social
intercourse these signs or cues include the thousands and
one way in which we orient ourselves to the situation of
daily life,like when to shake hand and what to say when we
meet people,when and how to give orders to servants,how
to make purchase,when to accept and when to refuse
invitation,when to take statements seriously and when not.”
“When an individual enters a strange culture ,all or most of
these familiar cueas are removed.HE or she is like fish out
of water,no matter how broad-minded our full of good
will,he or she may be a series of props has been knocked
out from under him or her.”
 PHASES OF CULTURE SHOCK

• Honeymoon Phase – Fun

• Culture Shock / Negotiation Phase – Flight
• Adjustment Phase – Fight
• Mastery Phase – Move on
 PHASE 1

THE HONEYMOON {fun}

ARRIVAL
A NEW PLACE
NEW SIGHTS – SOUNDS – SMELLS – TASTES
THINGS GO SMOOTHLY – FOR A WHILE
 PHASE 2

CULTURE SHOCK / NEGOTIATION {flight}

• After some time (usually around two months,depanding
on the individual), differences between the old and new
culture become apparent and may create anxiety.
• Excitement may eventually give way unpleasant feelings
of frustration and anger as one continues to experience
unfavourable events that may be perceived as strange
and offensive to one’s cultural attitude.
• Language barriers, differences in public hygiene, traffic
safety, food accessibility and quality may be heighten
the sense of disconnection from the surrounding.
In the case of students studying abroad, some develop
additional symptoms of loneliness that ultimately affect their
lifestyles as a whole.Due to the strain of living in a different
country without parental support,international students often
feel anxious and feel more pressure while adjusting to new
cultures-even more so when the cultural distance are wide ,as
patterns of logic speech are different and a special emphasis is
put on rhetoric.
 REJECTION PHASE

• Complaining,disappointment
• Sees only the bad things
• Anger
• Irritability
• Resentment
• You become stronger or weaker
• Everybody is trying to cheat me (sensitive)
• Again,after some time (usually 3 to 4 months) one grows
accostumed to the new culture and develops routines.
• One knows what to expect in most situation and the host country
no longer feels all that new.
• One becomes concerned with basic living again,and things
become more ”normal”.
• One starts to develop problem-solving skills for dealing with the
culture and begins to accept the culture’s way with a positive
attitude.
• The culture begins to make sense.
• And negative reactions and responses to the culture are reduced.
 REGRESSION (MOVING BACKWARDS)

• Speaking your own language

• Watching movies from home
• Eating familiar food
• Nostalgia
 PHASE 4

MASTERY PHASE {move on}

• In the mastery stage as signes are able to
participate fully and comfortably in the host
culture (usually aroun >6 months).
• Mastery does not mean total conversion,people
often keep many traits from their earlier
culture,such as accents and language.
• It is often referred to as the biculturalism stage.
 ACCEPTANCE

• You become more comfortable with the language,the local customs.

• You even prefer some things in the host country to things at home

• Stability

• Feel more like home

• Settled down
 TIPS GETTING ADJUSTED

• Recognize – Accept – Focus

• Be patient and constructive
• Remember your personal goals
• Don’t forget the good things that you’ve accomplished
• See the adventure in it (exercise,swim,do aerobics, book club,etc)
• Use your sense of humor
• Deal with the stress as it arises
• Ask for help if you need to do so
 THE ADJUSTMENT PROCESS
IN NEW CULTURE (HOW LONG UNTIL IT’S OVER)
 Person is excited and
experiencing a new lifestyle
 Curiosity and fascination
 Everything goes by
smoothly
 Everything is exotic and
quiant
 Time frame : fisrt few
weeks {< 1 (less than 1
month)}
 Dealing with problems such
as transportation,different
food,communication,etc
 Complains about the host
country may arise
 Individual can use to find
comfort with the host
country or simply go back
to the country of origin
 Time frame : first month
(1-2 months)
 Gaining more understand
of the new culture
(acceptance)
 Feeling a sense of humor
and pleasure about host
country
 The new comers is
approximately 90%
adjusted
 Need to survive,staying or
leaving
 Time frame : 3-4 months

 You’re adjusting to being on your
own country
 It’s your first experience taking care
of your self in country
 You’re having your first encounters
with the work-related aspects of
culture
 Time frame : first half (5-6 monhts)
 Realization that there are different
lifestyle
 Getting involved,make friends
 A feeling of comfort
 Acceptance of food,habits,drinks,and
the costums of the host country
(adaptation)
 Time frame : post settling in {>6
(more than 6 months)}
What can be happen during adjustment
process (the responds) :
1.Reject anything about new environment
2.Choosing the values of new environment and leave
native culture away

The responds above are influenced by:

Person’s personality
Language ability
Duration of stay
Extend of differences between 2 cultures
 REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK

• Also called as Re-entry shock

• Return to home country once accustomed to new one
• Find more surprising and difficult to deal with home culture
 THE RE – ENTRY ADJUSTMENT PROCESS
ACCEPTANCE
ADJUSTMENT AND INTEGRATION
• Characteristic: • Characteristic:

 Routine are reestablished.  You’re speak the language better

 some aspects of the country and culture are now seen as
normal.
 You’re making friends in the community

 Adjustment to the physical aspects of the host country is  You’re getting used to being on your own
better.
 You’re more effective because you understand
 Trainee are somewhat more self-reliant.
the culture better
 Trainee are more positive about their ability to function
in country  You’re be able to take care your self
 Adjustment is to the culture of pre-service training as
much as it is to host country culture
S
e
n
s
e
o
f
s
a
t
I
sf
a
c
ti Culture Shock Reverse Culture Shock
o
n
Time at home
Time in country
 COPING UP WITH CULTURE SHOCK

• Take care of yourself

• Reduce uncertainly
• Get away from it all
• Reduce demands
• Assume control
• Finish unfinished business
• Take advantage of your environment
 CONCLUSION

• Culture shock could create a serious problem for a new comer to a foreign place

• Culture could be learned and adapted easily with open mind while prepare to adjust
the behavior to match the new culture shock

• There is a strong need to find some technical and scientific approach to reduce the
effect of culture shock on psychological and physicological aspect of human to
balance two different cultures