Cultural Cultural DDifferences,ifferences,

CCulture ulture SShockhock

Orientation MeetingOrientation MeetingStrečnoStrečno

20. 9. 200820. 9. 2008

... OR... OR

What every exchange What every exchange student should know about student should know about

culture before his stay culture before his stay abroadabroad

The best preparation is The best preparation is to to understand the understand the

concept concept of culture and of culture and the idea of cultural the idea of cultural

differencesdifferences

► learned behavior, not hereditary or learned behavior, not hereditary or geneticgenetic

►Culture is the acquired knowledge (not Culture is the acquired knowledge (not instinctual) that groups use in order to instinctual) that groups use in order to interpret the world around theminterpret the world around them generate social behaviorgenerate social behavior judgejudge the behavior of others the behavior of others

What is What is cultureculture??

►everything that is not a part of natureeverything that is not a part of nature Tree – part of natureTree – part of nature Chair – invention and manifestation Chair – invention and manifestation

of cultureof culture

Buildings, architectureBuildings, architecture

What is What is cultureculture??

CommunicationCommunication

►Communication, particularly Communication, particularly llanguage, is the foundation ofanguage, is the foundation of culture. Language labels, creates,culture. Language labels, creates, maintains, and transforms culture. maintains, and transforms culture.

LanguageLanguage

►Language is not only the Language is not only the way culture is transmitted way culture is transmitted

►IIt is one of the lenses t is one of the lenses through which culture is through which culture is createdcreated

►An integrated system of learned An integrated system of learned behavior patterns that are behavior patterns that are characteristic of any given society or characteristic of any given society or groupgroup

►It refers to the total way of life, It refers to the total way of life, including how people think, feel and including how people think, feel and behavebehave

What is What is cultureculture??

Metaphorically, Metaphorically, culture is the culture is the LENSLENS, ,

through which we see through which we see the worldthe world

Think of theThink of thesese „„cultural lenscultural lens“ as the “ as the

ability to see the world ability to see the world ccoolloorrffuull or or colorlesscolorless

Think of Think of color-blindnesscolor-blindness

(inability to see different colors)(inability to see different colors)

as asculture-blindnessculture-blindness

EthnocentrismEthnocentrism

►The universal tendency for any The universal tendency for any culture to see its own values culture to see its own values and practices as and practices as naturalnatural and and correctcorrect

►The Mediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea►““China” means “middle earth”China” means “middle earth”► In Ecuador, the monument at the In Ecuador, the monument at the

equator is roughly translated as “The equator is roughly translated as “The middle of the world”middle of the world”

EthnorelativismEthnorelativism

► The acquired ability to see The acquired ability to see many many valuesvalues, , beliefsbeliefs and and

behaviorsbehaviors as as culturalcultural rather than rather than universaluniversal

Developing Intercultural Developing Intercultural SensitivitySensitivity

The Experience of DifferenceThe Experience of Difference

Denial Defense Denial Defense Minimization Minimization

Ethnocentric stagesEthnocentric stages Ethnorelative Ethnorelative stagesstages

AcceptanceAcceptance Adaptation Adaptation IntegrationIntegration

Developing cultural Developing cultural sensitivity and competence sensitivity and competence

requires moving fromrequires moving from EthnocentrismEthnocentrism

toto EthnorelativismEthnorelativism

DefensivenessDefensiveness

►Recognizing a cultural practice as Recognizing a cultural practice as differentdifferent, but, but

►Labeling it Labeling it wrongwrong or or inferiorinferior

►Or, by labeling one’s own practice Or, by labeling one’s own practice superiorsuperior

►Our own cultureOur own culture or sub-culture or sub-culture comes to comes to us us naturallynaturally and and unconsciouslyunconsciously

►Ex: Our handednessEx: Our handedness We generally don’t think about what hand we We generally don’t think about what hand we

will use to write our nameswill use to write our names

►Changing our cultural point of viewChanging our cultural point of view is is about as hard as changing our about as hard as changing our handednesshandedness

►Both are possible, but Both are possible, but neither is easyneither is easy

Cultural differencesCultural differences

►Easily noticed differencesEasily noticed differences LanguageLanguage FoodFood ClothingClothing

►Deeper differencesDeeper differences ValuesValues Thinking patternsThinking patterns

The Cultural The Cultural icebergiceberg

1/8th above 1/8th above the surfacethe surface

7/8ths 7/8ths below the below the surfacesurface

Conscious Conscious behaviorsbehaviors

Unconscious Unconscious beliefs and beliefs and

valuesvalues

Individualism Group Individualism Group OrientationOrientationFormality Formality InformalityInformalityPast Past Future Future

Directness Directness IndirectnessIndirectnessChangeChange PermanencePermanence

ChangeChange Permanence Permanence

IndividualismIndividualism Group Group orientationorientation

► Example: development of music Example: development of music players (walkman, discman, iPod)players (walkman, discman, iPod)

IndividualIndividualismism

Group orientationGroup orientation

Western Western culturescultures

ChangeChange Permanence Permanence

Eastern culturesEastern cultures

Culture shockCulture shock

► The profound sense of The profound sense of disorientationdisorientation and and

discomfortdiscomfort that comes with that comes with extended travel or living in a extended travel or living in a

foreign culture markedly foreign culture markedly different from one’s owndifferent from one’s own

Stages of Culture ShockStages of Culture Shock

1.1. Initial excitementInitial excitement

2.2. Irritability and Irritability and negativenessnegativeness

3.3. ..

4.4. ..

„ „ Some travelers want to go Some travelers want to go to foreign places but are to foreign places but are

dismayed when the places dismayed when the places turn out actually to turn out actually to be be

foreignforeign..““

Canadian author Margaret AtwoodCanadian author Margaret Atwood

Stages of Culture ShockStages of Culture Shock

1.1. Initial excitementInitial excitement

2.2. Irritability and Irritability and negativenessnegativeness

3.3. Gradual adaptationGradual adaptation

4.4. BiculturalismBiculturalism

Culture Shock CycleCulture Shock CyclePre- departure

Months 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Return...

Adapted from a model by:Adapted from a model by: Robert Kohls Robert Kohls

Normal level of feelings

Reverse Culture ShockReverse Culture Shock

1.1. Initial Euphoria Initial Euphoria ((may be very brief or not happen at may be very brief or not happen at allall))

2.2. Irritability and Negativism Irritability and Negativism (may be very lengthy)(may be very lengthy)

3.3. Gradual AdaptationGradual Adaptation

4.4. True Bi-CulturalismTrue Bi-Culturalism

Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock are not just Culture Shock are not just unpleasant side effects of unpleasant side effects of

international livinginternational living..

They are the necessary They are the necessary ingredients that bring about ingredients that bring about

quality exchangesquality exchanges..

„„Inbound Syndrome“Inbound Syndrome“

►UUniversal tendency of foreigners to niversal tendency of foreigners to group together, regardless their group together, regardless their country of origincountry of origin

►They become a They become a sub-sub-culture and culture and being foreigners is what they have being foreigners is what they have

in commonin common

„ „ When you travel, remember When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not that a foreign country is not

designed to make designed to make you you comfortable. It is designed comfortable. It is designed

to make its to make its own peopleown people comfortablecomfortable..““

Clifton FadimanClifton Fadiman

First you need to know First you need to know your ownyour own cultural cultural

valuesvalues

Slovak cultureSlovak cultureCzech cultureCzech culture

Advantages?Advantages?

► personalitypersonality► biculturalismbiculturalism► further educationfurther education► employmentemployment► your lifeyour life

Finding helpFinding help

►To know the road ahead, To know the road ahead, ask those coming backask those coming back. . Chinese ProverbChinese Proverb

► Problems connected with culture shock can Problems connected with culture shock can be helped by those, who have such be helped by those, who have such experience (rebounds) or who know about experience (rebounds) or who know about the problem (YEO in your club)the problem (YEO in your club)

► Your parents canYour parents can’t’t give you good advice give you good advice unless they have lived in a different culture unless they have lived in a different culture for a longer period of timefor a longer period of time

Prepared by:Prepared by:

Ivan Polák, Ivan Polák, Rotex Rotex Slovensko, 2007Slovensko, 2007

From the originalFrom the original::

Dennis White, Ph.D.Dennis White, Ph.D., WI, USA, WI, USA

Presented atPresented at: : 2007 USA Canada YE 2007 USA Canada YE Network ConferenceNetwork Conference, , www.yeoresources.org