CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION THEORY

INTRODUCTION OF THEORY • DESCRIBES THE PROCESS OF CROSS-

CULTURAL ADAPTATION AS IT UNFOLDS OVER TIME

• EXPLAINS THE STRUCTURE OF THIS PROCESS

• IT IS BASED ON THREE ASSUMPTIONS (“OPEN-SYSTEMS”)

1. HUMANS HAVE AN INHERENT DRIVE TO ADAPT AND GROW

2. ADAPTATION TO ONE’S SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT OCCURS THROUGH COMMUNICATION

3. ADAPTATION IS A COMPLEX AND DYNAMIC PROCESS

THE PROCESS OF CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION

CULTURE IS DEFINED AS:

an imprinted pattern of knowledge, attitudes, values, perceptions and a set of behaviors that permeate all life activities Culture has a pervasive role in shaping individual behavior

Enculturation: The process by which a person is socialized into his or her primary culture, receiving primary cultural knowledge, awareness, and values.

ACCULTURATION: the process of learning and acquiring the elements of the host culture

UNLEARNING/DECULTURATION: losing or putting aside some of the old cultural habits / new responses are adopted in situations that previously would have evoked old ones

COMMUNCATE1To become competent in the host communication system, in turn, requires- active participation in the interpersonal and mass communication processes ofthe local community.

- Just as we cannot learn to swim without actually plunging into the water, we cannot truly learn tocommunicate without actually communicating. .

THE STRESS-ADAPTATION-GROWTH DYNAMICAdaptation: stress is temporary; it leads to adaptation because students strive to meet and manage the challenge by acting on and responding to the host environment Growth: the stress-adaptation experiences bring about change and growth internal transformation creative responses to new circumstances a crisis once managed by the students presents an opportunity for a strengthening of their coping abilities

THE STRESS-ADAPTATION-GROWTH DYNAMIC Students find themselves in a state of dynamic stress-

adaptation, which is change from time to time.

Dialectic relationship between push and pull, or engagement and disengagement in the psychological movements of students

Even those who interact with the natives with the intention of confining themselves to only superficial relationships are likely to become – given sufficient time – at least adapted to the host culture “in spite of themselves”

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ADAPTATION (42 N)

Afghanistan

Sudan India

Libya

Thailand

Singapore

Yemen Egyp

tLaos

PakistanTanzania

Benin

Indonesia

Kenya

Zimbabwe

Saudi Arabia

Uganda

Colombia

Senegal

Nigeria

South AfricaEthiop

ia

ADAPTATION STAGES 1.The first stage of cultural adaptation is

called the honeymoon stage.2- The second stage tends to start three to four months after arrival. It is characterized by the feeling of culture shock,3-Adjustment phase. This is where they learn to accept the culture and to change their negative attitude to a positive one

4-Acceptance and Adaptation phase. This is where they will feel at home and become involved in activities and may enjoy some of that countries customs.

THE STRUCTURE OF CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION

• PERSONAL COMMUNICATION• HOST COMMUNICATION

COMPETENCE

• SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

1. HOST INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

2. HOST MASS COMMUNICATION

3. ETHNIC INTERPERSONAL AND

MASS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

Intercultural TransformationOUTCOMES OF THE ADAPTATION PROCESS

1. INCREASED FUNCTIONAL FITNESS: synchrony between students’ internal responses and the external demands in the host environment

2. PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH: ability to communicate and the accompanying functional fitness in the host society / psychological well-being

3. INTERCULTURAL IDENTITY: Become more flexible in accepting some of values and traditions that exist in the new culture even if it is conflict with his original culture

CONCLUSIONThis theory portrays cross-cultural adaptation as a collaborative effort in which a students and a receiving environment are engaged in a joint venture

Cross-cultural adaptation is ultimately the gift of the individuals

Cross-cultural adaptation is not an extraordinary phenomenon that only exceptional individuals can achieve. Rather, it is simply an incident of the normal human mutability manifesting itself to the work of ordinary people “stretching” themselves out of the old and familiar