INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

“Cultural Adjustment”
Lecturer:
Dr. Serliah Nur, S.Pd., M.Hum., M.Ed.

Compiled By:
Group 11
Annisa Nurul Jannah (20400121052)
Naufal Fathona (20400121039)

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND TEACHER TRAINING
ALAUDDIN STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
ACADEMIC YEAR 2022/2023
 PREFACE
With all the praise and thanks to God the Almighty, who has given His love and mercy
so that a paper entitled "Cultural Adjustment” can we finish well. The paper is structured to
meet one of the tasks of the course Intercultural Communication.
The purpose of writing this paper is to fulfill the assignment given by Dr. Serliah Nur,
S.Pd., M.Hum., M.Ed. as the lecturer in the Intercultural Communication course. In arranging
this paper, the writer truly gets lots of challenges and obstructions but with the help of many
individuals, those obstructions could pass. The writer also realized there are still many mistakes
in the process of writing this paper.
Because of that, the writer says thank you to all individuals who helps in the process of
writing this paper. Hopefully, Allah replies to all help and blesses you all. The writer realized
that this paper was still imperfect in arrangement and content. Then the writer hopes the
criticism from the readers can help the writer in perfecting the next paper. Last but not least
hopefully, this paper can help the readers to gain more knowledge about the Intercultural
Communication course.

Gowa, 2 December, 2023

The Writers
 CONTENT
A. What is Cultural Adjustment?
Cultural adjustment is a process an individual has to go through to be able to
work effectively and live comfortably in a place that is new and unfamiliar to them.
Living in a new culture requires you to learn a new set of cultural patterns and
behaviors. This process can be very challenging and sometimes uncomfortable. There
are generally three main types of cultural adjustment, according to Janet and Milton
Bennett, 1999:
1. Culture Surprise
Culture surprise is the initial feeling of disorientation and bewilderment that
people experience when they first encounter a new culture. This stage is
characterized by a heightened awareness of cultural differences, such as
unfamiliar customs, languages, and behaviors. Culture surprise is typically a
temporary reaction that lasts for a few days or weeks.
2. Culture Stress
Culture stress is a more intense and prolonged reaction to cultural differences.
It occurs when individuals begin to interact with people from the new culture
and experience difficulties in communicating, understanding, and behaving
appropriately. Culture stress can manifest in various ways, including:
a) Frustration and anxiety: Individuals may feel overwhelmed by the
demands of navigating a new cultural environment and may experience
feelings of helplessness and uncertainty.
b) Withdrawal and isolation: Individuals may withdraw from social
interactions and avoid contact with people from the new culture in an
attempt to reduce stress and discomfort.
c) Hostility and aggression: Individuals may express their frustration and
anger through negative attitudes and behaviors towards the new culture
and its people.
3. Culture Shock
Culture shock is the most severe stage of cultural adjustment. It is a prolonged
and debilitating reaction to cultural differences that can significantly impact an
individual's emotional, physical, and psychological well-being. Symptoms of
culture shock may include:
a) Extreme anxiety and depression: Individuals may experience intense
feelings of sadness, loneliness, and hopelessness.
b) Loss of identity and self-worth: Individuals may question their own
values, beliefs, and cultural identity, leading to feelings of insecurity and
inferiority.
c) Physical ailments: Individuals may experience physical symptoms such
as fatigue, headaches, and digestive problems.

B. The Adjustment Process

" ... when an individual enters a strange culture, . . . he or she is like fish out of
water." Newcomers feel at times that they do not belong and consequently may feel
alienated from the native members of the culture. When this happens, visitors may want
to reject everything about the new environment and may glorify and exaggerate the
positive aspects of their own culture. Conversely, visitors may scorn their native
country by rejecting its values and instead choosing to identify with (if only
temporarily) the values of the new country. This may occur as an attempt to overidentify
with the new culture in order to be accepted by the people in it.
Reactions to a new culture vary, but experience and research have shown that
there are distinct stages in the adjustment process of foreign visitors. When leaving the
comfortably secure environment of home, a person will naturally experience some
stress and anxiety. The severity of culture shock depends on visitors' personalities,
language ability, emotional support, and duration of stay. It is also influenced by the
extent of differences, either actual or perceived, between the two cultures.
Visitors coming for short periods of time do not always experience the same intense
emotions as visitors who live in foreign countries for longer terms. The adjustment
stages during prolonged stays may last several months to several years. The following
"W" shaped diagram illustrates periods of adjustment in a second culture and might
apply to a one-year stay (approximately) in a foreign culture. Although the stages in the
cycle do not always occur in the same order and some stages may be skipped, the
following pattern is a common one:

(5)
(1) Acceptance & Integration
Honeymon Period

(3)
Initial Adjusment

(2) (4)
Culture Shock Mental Isolation

Each stage in the process is characterized by "symptoms" or outward signs 10

typifying certain kinds of behavior:
1. Honeymoon period. Initially many people are fascinated and excited by
everything new. The visitor is elated to be in a new culture.
2. Culture shock. The individual is immersed in new problems: housing,
transportation, shopping, and language. Mental fatigue results from
continuously straining to comprehend the foreign language.
3. Initial adjustment. Everyday activities such as housing and shopping are no
longer major problems. Although the visitor may not yet be fluent in the
language spoken, basic ideas and feelings in the second language can be
expressed.
4. Mental isolation. Individuals have been away from their family and good
friends for a long period of time and may feel lonely. Many still feel they cannot
express themselves as well as they can in their native language. Frustration and
sometimes a loss of self-confidence result. Some individuals remain at this
stage.
 5. Acceptance and integration. A routine (e.g., work, business, or school) has
been established. The visitor has accepted the habits, customs, foods, and
characteristics of the people in the new culture. The visitor feels comfortable
with friends, associates, and the language of the country.

C. The Re-entry Process

A similar process occurs when visitors return to their native countries,
although the stages are usually shorter and less intense. The following "W" shaped
diagram illustrates reactions and emotions experienced when a person leaves a foreign
country and returns to his or her own country.

(1) (3)
Acceptance Return
and honeymoon (5)
integration Re-integration

(2) (4)
Return Re-entry
anxiety shock

As in the first diagram, each stage in the "reentry" process is characterized by

symptoms and feelings.
1. Acceptance and integration. See description given for the preceding diagram.
2. Return anxiety. There may be confusion and emotional pain about leaving
because friendships will have to be disrupted. Many people realize how much
they have changed because of their experiences and may be nervous about going
home.
3. Return honeymoon. Immediately upon arrival in one's own country, there is
generally a great deal of excitement. There are parties to welcome back the
visitor and renewed friendships to look forward to.
4. Re-entry shock. Family and friends may not understand or appreciate what the
traveler has experienced. The native country or city may have changed in the
eyes of the former traveler.
5. Re-integration. The former traveler becomes fully involved with friends,
family, and activities and feels once again integrated in the society. Many people
at this stage realize the positive and negative aspects of both countries and have
a more balanced perspective about their experiences.
D. Individual Reactions
Individuals experience the stages of adjustment and re-entry in different ways.
When visitors have close relatives in the new culture or speak the foreign language
fluently, they may not experience all the effects of culture shock or mental isolation. An
exile or refugee would adjust differently from someone who voluntari y l traveled to a
new country. Certain individuals have difficulties adapting to a new environment and
perhaps never do; others seem to adjust well from the very beginning of their stay.
Day-to-day living in another culture is undoubtedly an educational experience.
While traveling, and living abroad people learn second languages, observe different
customs, and encounter new values. Many people who have lived in other countries
feel that exposure to foreign cultures enables them to gain insight into their own society.
When facing different values, beliefs, and behavior, they develop a deeper
understanding of themselves and of the society that helped to shape their characters.
The striking contrasts of a second culture provide a mirror in which one's own culture
is reflected.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bennet, J. M., & Bennet M. J. (1999). Intercultural Communication: A Critical Survey.

Sage.

Deena R. Levine, Mara B. Adelman (1982). Beyond Language. New Jersey: Prentice
Hall.