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Culture Shock
Good morning, everyone. Today, we’ll talk about culture shock. Culture shock is a very real experience for many people who move to another country. Anyone who has lived or studied or even traveled extensively in another country has tasted and lived through culture shock. There are several stages one goes through when adjusting to a new culture.
Before we undertake the five stages of culture shock, let’s look at what culture shock is and its signs and symptoms. Culture shock is defined the disorientation experienced when suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture. This is a good summary; however, let’s break it down a bit further. Some of the common signs and symptoms of culture shock often include: a feeling of sadness and loneliness, an over-concern about your health, feelings of anger and depression, idealizing your own culture, and feeling lost or confused, etc. However, the symptoms are quite individual and unpredictable as people experience culture shock in different ways.
Now, let’s look at the five-step culture shock model.
Step 1 is the Honeymoon Stage. Like any new experience, there’s a feeling of intense happiness and excitement when you first arrive to a new country and you respect and are amazed at the differences you see and experience. During this stage, you still feel close to everything familiar back home.
Step 2 is the Distress Stage. Now, everything you’re experiencing no longer feels new. In fact, it’s starting to feel like a thick wall that’s preventing you from experiencing things. You feel confused, alone and realize that the familiar support systems are not easily accessible.
Step 3 is Re-integration Stage. During this stage, you start refusing to accept the differences you encounter. You start to idealize life "back home" and compare your current culture to what is familiar. You dislike the culture, the language, and the food. You reject it as inferior. You may even develop some prejudices towards the new culture. But you don’t have to worry about this. In fact, you’re adjusting. This is actually a pretty common reaction to anything new.
Step 4 is Autonomy Stage. This is the first stage in acceptance. You start to accept the differences and feel like you can begin to live with them. You feel more confident and better able to cope with any problems that may arise. You no longer feel isolated and instead you’re able to look at the world around you and appreciate where you are.
Step 5 is Independence Stage. In this stage, you embrace the new culture and see everything in a new, yet realistic light. You feel comfortable, confident, and able to make decisions based on your own preferences. You no longer feel alone and isolated. You appreciate both the differences and similarities of your new culture.
OK, to sum up briefly, today we’ve looked at the symptoms and the five stages of culture shock. I hope it will help you better adjust to a new culture.