In some ways a misnomer, culture shock is not the same as being shocked about something. Expatriate workers entering a new country or culture may be shocked by many new things there: the treatment of women, the speed and complexity of the traffic, the weather, the economy, the food, and so on. Culture shock, though, is not only these superficial shocks. Rather, it is a process of learning to live in entirely new ways, among people with entirely different values and ways of expressing them than the expatriate has experienced before.
The process of acculturation can be very painful, depending on a number of factors: the relative difference between the home culture and the new one; the length of time the stay is expected to last; the attitude of the sojourner, whether intending to absorb the new place or be insulated from it; and the attitudes and prejudices of both the host culture and the culture of origin.
A Foreign Culture Can be a Real Challenge
Working and living abroad, plunging into a new culture, opening oneself to multicultural gifts and challenges can be a scary and exhilarating experience. Every detail of life has to adjust: whether and how to shake hands, how to eat, how to get around, house design, clothing patterns, decision making processes, gestures, questions, courtesy and discourtesy…everything is up for grabs.
Many people are surprised to find that cultures are really very different one from another. A traveler who expects to find everyone “really the same under the skin” may be disappointed. People act in ways that are not intelligible, according to rules that have not been explained. They make assumptions that seem irrational and are surprised by very simple expectations on the part of the newcomer. Ordinary life becomes a series of tasks that can take on monumental proportions. Frustrations seem to be more common than successes.
Acculturation in a radically new and different culture takes time. It may be a matter of months before the newcomer begins to feel settled and competent to get by in the new place. At first, negative feelings may be overwhelming: homesickness, frustration, strangeness, and the feelings of not knowing what is going on and not knowing how to cope. At this time, a newcomer may experience depression, difficulty sleeping, flashes of irritation and temper, and doubt or suspicion about the host people. These feelings are a very natural part of the cross cultural adjustment process, no one can escape completely from culture shock
Recognize the Process of Adjustment
Recognition of the process of cultural adjustment has been shown to be an important component of getting thorough it. Those who don’t know or realize that their negative feelings are a part of culture shock may blame the host culture or people, taking on a negative attitude towards them that may never lift. Others may blame themselves and take refuge in inappropriate behavior, or just retreat, give up and go home. However, those who recognize the process of culture shock can give themselves time to let their perceptions gradually settle down and make a better assessment of the situation after the adjustment period is over.
With care and good preparation, anyone can come to appreciate a foreign culture. Some will immerse themselves totally in the new culture, becoming fully “bicultural”, while others will keep back, maintaining their home identity while adopting and appreciating some new foods, holidays, customs and friendships. But no one is condemned to stay in the culture shock period forever; allowing for an adjustment period and process makes it possible to be open to the gifts of any host culture, anywhere in the world.
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