Culture shock is described as the feelings arising for people experiencing a culture which is not their home culture. In the past, the stages of culture shock have been described as the honeymoon stage, crisis stage, recovery stage, and adjustment stage.
However, describing culture shock as stages connotes that culture shock is something one will grow past. It is better to describe culture shock in terms of culture stress. Culture stress is not a stage one "gets over" after a time. It includes both the feelings arising while in the first one to two years in a new culture, but also all the feelings coming even months and years in a the host culture.
Some overseas workers will never feel totally integrated into their new culture, and so will continue to feel elements of culture stress. This is not bad, but it should be recognized, expected, and accepted.
Causes of Culture Stress
Culture stress arises as the expatriate adjusts to new customs and ways of "doing life" different from one's home culture. Additionally, the feeling of not being in control, not knowing how to do basic every day life skills, not recognizing food products in the grocery store, unable to communicate one's needs/desires articulately (lack of language skills), and possible new styles of clothing cause such a disorientation and frustration that cross-cultural workers visitors become disoriented and frustrated, even angry. Becoming comfortable and understanding the new customs is essential for long term joyful living.
Results of Culture Stress
When not dealt with properly, culture stress results in one or more of numerous negative emotions. If the shock is severe enough, and the person experiencing it sufficiently lacking in resiliency skills, it can also result in post-traumatic-stress disorder.
Culture stress when not recognized by the person experiencing these feelings may result in difficulty in social skills in the new culture, or inappropriate "striking out" at loved ones nearby, or huge highs and lows in one's emotions. Usually over time, these feelings even out as hopefully, one acquires the necessary survival skills to manage the new culture.
What About Reverse Culture Shock?
Reverse culture shock is an uncomfortable feeling arising when a person returns to his or her home culture after some time in a host culture. The length of time in the host culture varies, but possibly as little as 2 weeks may be sufficient to induce a mild form of reverse culture shock. The positive aspects of reverse culture shock is that one sees all the good parts of one's home culture, and may gain a deeper appreciation for them.
The negative side is one may see problems in the home culture which are dealt with differently in the host culture. Anger and loneliness may result, as the feelings of reverse culture shock are isolating: no one else is apparently feeling the same way.
Some Tips for Surviving Culture Shock
- First, recognize that it will happen. There will be elements of the new culture which should be recognized and accepted or dealt with in some manner.
- Laugh at one's mistakes. Recognize that mistakes are often sources of connecting with the people of the new culture and a source of amusement for them and oneself. Laughter is a great stress reducer.
- Recognize the feelings within: anger, disappointment, irritation, joy, happiness, pleasure, and then name which part of the culture is the source of these feelings.
- Try to work through which part of that culture can be assimilated into a new worldview experience, and which part will probably end up staying separate (and thereby a possible source of continual frustration or joy).
- Enjoy being a new person able to adapt to a new culture, and never being completely the same again! This is part of being in the global community!
Some Examples: Culture Shock in Japan and Chinese Culture Shock
Usually a greater degree of culture shock is felt by North Americans and Europeans who go to live in Japan or China. There may be some culture shocks by Asians from other countries who visit, but the degree of felt culture stress is typically not as extreme. Being in a country where the letters do not even look familiar, the food is very different, and the manner of communication (indirect) and negotiation are so opposite play huge parts in causing culture shock for the typical expatriate.
Prepare for this be studying the cultures of the host country before arriving, and know the "do's" and the "don'ts." This will help minimize some of the culture shock feelings. Keep a journal or write e-mails or newsletters to a friend. This is a safe way to process the cultural experience.
Culture shock or culture stress are all part of the exciting experience of travel and living overseas. It can be a source of great personal growth and learning as one works through all the ramifications of going to a new place.
Rachel Schaus - Rachel Schaus, contributing writer,Minnesota-based freelance writer who has written hundreds of articles relating to classical education, ...
