Culture Shock

Objetives

•What is a cultural shock??•How can I identify it?•What can I do about it?

What is 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, a move between social environments, or simply travel to another type of life.

Symptoms

Self-doubt

Physical Ailments

AnxietyAbandonmen

Depression

Insufficiency

Homesicknes

Boredom

Fatigue

Paranoia

Human Response to Change

Time

Perf

orm

ance

Confusion

1 Sudden Awareness

2 Denial

3 Blame Others

4 Blame Self

5 Immobilization

6 Acceptance

7 Problem Solving

Honeymoon Period

Culture Shock

Recovery

Adjustment Stage

Reverse Culture Shock

Adaptation Curve

Honeymoon Period|Tourist Stage

Honeymoon Period

Everything is exciting and new

The new culture is ideal [Is much better than you own]

You quickly recover after have problems.

Everything is quite positive

Culture Shock

Culture Shock Period

All the little problems and frustrations appear much bigger.

You feel confused and lonely If you find someone from your own culture you

may become dependent on them. You will make stereotypes of the people. You miss your own culture and country.

This is the most critical stage and it is possible try to go back home, it is

a stage too hard.

Recovery

Recovery Stage You eventually learn to deal with the differences. You will try to integrate the new culture with your

own beliefs. You begin to learn the language and make more

friends. You have the occasional crisis but you develop a

positive attitude towards it. This period can be slow.

o It is always possible to go back a stage into Shock

again.

Adjustment Stage

Adjustment Stage You can now live with the new culture. Your behavior is stable. Although it is difficult to be completely

assimilated, you have got important personal changes and growth in order to be able to integrate into the new culture.

You have developed a bicultural identity.

TIPS!

Regular stress-

reducing

mechanism

Sports, favourite

music, painting,

teddy bear -

whatever works for

you when you are in

stress at home

Be natural in your

behaviour

Allow yourself natural

retreat (“don’t eat the

cake in one piece”) or

natural aggression -

use these valves for

regaining orientation

Be open to new

ideas, believes,

experiences.

BE POSITIVE!

ATTITUDE IS

THE KEY TO

SUCCESS

MAKE NEW FRIENDS

KEEP BUSY

BE

TOLERANT!

Dealing with It

How to deal with cultural shock?

• 10. Keep busy and active

• 9. Establish strong friendship with people from the host culture

• 8. Make a list of positive things about the culture and look through it occasionally

• 7. Realize that everyone who goes abroad experiences culture shock

• 6. Be an avid learner about the country. Find out all the information you can

• 5. Try to trace every “strange action” to its underlying values

• 4. Find someone from your country that has been there longer. Use that person to gain perspective

• 3. Avoid foreigners who spend their time complaining about the host culture. Avoid criticizing the host culture yourself

• 2. Work at maintaining a healthy sense of humor. Be ready to laugh at yourself

• 1. When talking about experiences, focus on your feelings rather than the causes