handouts9

　　Lecture9CultureShock

　　DEFININGCULTURESHOCK

　　Cultureshockisamentalstatethatcomesfromthetransitionthatoccurswhenyougofromafamiliarenvironmenttoanunfamiliaroneandfindthatyourold,establishedpatternsofbehaviorareineffective.61Theterm“cultureshock”wasfirstintroducedin1960bytheanthropologistKalveroOberg.Inthefollowingparagraph,heoffersadetaileddefinitionandaccountofthisphenomenon:

　　Cultureshockisprecipitatedbytheanxietythatresultsfromlosingallourfamiliarsignsandsymbolsofsocialintercourse.Thesesignsorcuesincludethethousandandonewaysinwhichweorientourselvestothesituationofdailylife:howtogiveorders,howtomakepurchases,whenandwherenottorespond.Nowthesecues,whichmaybewords,gestures,facialexpressions,customs,ornorms,areacquiredbyallofusinthecourseofgrowingupandareasmuchapartofourcultureasthelanguagewespeakorthebeliefsweaccept.Allofusdependforourpeaceofmindandefficiencyonhundredsofthesecues,mostofwhichwearenotconsciouslyaware[of].WhileOberg’sdefinitionisimportantbecauseitwasthefirst,itfailstomentionthatcultureshockalsoinvolvesapowerfuldisruptionofone’sroutines,ego,andselfimage.Thesefeelingsnotonlyapplytosojourners,businesspersons,students,governmentemployees,andimmigrants,but,asBrislinnotes,can“beexperiencedbyindividualswhohaveface-to-facecontactwithout-groupmemberswithintheirownculture.”64

　　REACTIONSTOCULTURESHOCK

　　Thereactionsassociatedwithcultureshockvaryamongindividualsandcanappearatdifferenttimes.Forexample,thepersonwhoisconstantlyencounteringotherculturesmightexperienceamildandbriefanxietyperiod.Cultureshock,saysSmith,canspawnahostofreactionsthathavethepotentialtocreateproblems.Attheveryleast,cultureshockcancauseyoutofeel“outofsorts,”“fatigued,”and“notwhollyinthemoment.”65

　　AccordingtoRyanandTwibell,cultureshockcausesstressorsthatdemandreadjustmentbeforeyoucanadapttonewsurroundings.Thesestressorsmayincludecommunicationproblems,mechanicalandenvironmentaldifferences,isolation,andtheexperiencingofdifferentcustoms,attitudes,andbeliefs.Thesestressorscanleadtoavarietyofindividualreactions.66Foryourbenefit,wehavelistedsomeofthereactionsyoumayfeelwhileadjustingtoanewculture.Weshouldaddthatthislistisnotintendedtooverwhelmyouormakeyouapprehensiveaboutventuringintoanotherculture,butrathertohelpyoubepreparedwhenyouexperiencesomeofthesereactions.67

　　?Antagonismtowardthenewenvironment

　　?Asenseofdisorientation

　　?Feelingsofrejection

　　?Upsetstomachandheadaches

　　?Homesickness

　　?Missingfriendsandfamily

　　?Feelingalossofstatusandinfluence

　　?Withdrawal

　　?Perceivingmembersofthehostculturetobeinsensitive

　　THESTAGESOFCULTURESHOCK(THEU-CURVE)

　　Althoughtherearevariationsinbothhowpeoplerespondtocultureshock,andtheamountoftimetheyneedtoadjust,mostoftheliteratureintheareaofcultureshocksuggeststhatpeoplenormallygothroughfourstages.Weshouldfirstmentionthattheveinsseparatingthestagesarealmostimpossibletosee—thatistosay,thetransitionfromonestagetoanotherisnotasclear-cutasourdescriptionmightimply.YoushouldviewthestagesasaU-shapedcurve.“TheU-curvedepictstheinitialoptimismandelationinthehostculture,thesubsequentdipinthelevelofadaptation,andthefollowinggradualrecovery.”68Wewillexaminethesefourstagesinmoredetailtogiveyouabetterunderstandofthecomplexcultureshockprocess.

　　ExcitementPhase.

　　Thefirstphase,visualizedasthetopoftheleftsideoftheU-curve,isusuallyfilledwithexcitement,hopefulness,andasenseofeuphoriaastheindividualanticipatesbeingexposedtoanewculture.Marxoffersanexcellentreviewofhowthisfirstphasemightbeperceivedbysomeoneundertakinganinternationalmanagementassignment:

　　Thenewlifeisviewedasprovidingendlessopportunitiesandthemanagerisusuallyinastateofexhilaration.Thereisopennessandcuriosity,combinedwithareadinesstoacceptwhatevercomes.Mostimportantly,atthisstagejudgmentisreservedandevenminorirritationsaresuppressedinfavorofconcentratingonthenicethingsaboutthejob,thecountry,thecolleagues,thefood,etc.69DisenchantmentPhase.

　　Thissecondphasebeginswhenyourecognizetherealityofthenewsetting70andsomeinitialproblemsbegintodevelop.Forexample,adaptationandcommunicationdifficultiesbegintoemerge.AsTriandisnotes,“Thesecondphaseisaperiodwhendifficultiesoflanguage,inadequateschoolsforthechildren,poorhousing,crowdedtransportation,chaoticshopping,andthelikebegintakingtheirtoll.”71Doddaddsthatthisphaseisoftenmarkedbyfeelingsofdisappointment,discontent,andthateverythingisawful.72Itisthecrisisperiodofcultureshock.Peoplebecomeconfusedandbaffledbytheirnewsurroundings.Thisfrustrationcanmakethemeasilyirritated,hostile,impatient,angry,andevenincompetent.Inextremecasestheseuncomfortablefeelings“canborderonhatingeverythingforeign.”73

　　BeginningResolutionPhase.

　　Thethirdphaseischaracterizedbygainingsomeunderstandingofthenewculture.Herethepersonisgraduallymakingsomeadjustmentsandmodificationsinhowheorsheiscopingwiththenewculture.Eventsandpeoplenowseemmuchmorepredictableandlessstressful.EffectiveFunctioningPhase.

　　Inthisfinalphase,atthetopoftherightsideoftheU-curve,thepersonnowunderstandsthekeyelementsofthenewculture(values,specialcustoms,beliefs,communicationpatterns,etc.).Atthisstage,RyanandTwibellreport,peoplefeelcomfortableinthenewcultureandareabletofunctionwithsomedegreeofsuccess.74One’sabilitytoliveandfunctionwithintwocultures(theoldandthenew)isfrequentlyaccompaniedbyfeelingsofelationandsatisfaction.

　　Someresearcherssuggestthatthereisalsoakindofreversecultureshockthattakesplacewhenpeoplereturnhome.AsHarrisandMorannote,“Havingobjectivelyperceivedhisorherculturefromabroad,onecanhaveasevereandsustainedjoltthroughreentryshock.”75Expatriatesoften

　　arrivehomemissingthenewfriendstheymadewhileoverseas.Somebemoanthelossofprestigeassociatedwithforeignassignments.

　　Whenthishappens,thereturneeexperiencesthesamefourphasesofadjustmentwediscussedintheU-curve.Thisgivesrisetotheterm“W-curve,”becauseitjoinstwoU-curvestogether.THELESSONSOFCULTURESHOCK

　　Ourdiscussionofcultureshockwaspredicatedontwopremises.First,eachyearmillionsofpeoplegoabroadtowork,travel,andstudy.Second,manyofthoseexperiencesendupproducingstress,homesickness,andconfusion.Althoughwehaveplacedthetopicofcultureshockunderthecategoryof“problems,”wewouldberemissifweconcludedourdiscussionwithoutemphasizingtheideathatcultureshockcanbeanexplicitlearningexperience.Infact,asAdlernotes,“Severecultureshockisoftenapositivesignindicatingthattheexpatriateisbecomingdeeplyinvolvedinthenewcultureinsteadofremainingisolatedinanexpatriateghetto.”76Thisinvolvementhelpspeoplelearnaboutthemselvesand,atthesametime,othercultures.Inastudyexaminingcultureshock,Kawanoconcludedthatcultureshock“givesthesojournersachancetolearnaboutthemselves.Inthissenseexperiencingcultureshockhasastrongpotentialtomakepeoplebemulticulturalorbicultural.”77

　　BeyondCultureShock

　　Today,widespreadimmigrationandthemovementandrelocationofmillionsofrefugeesareestablishedfacts.Thesepeoplearefacedwiththemonumentaltaskofadaptingtonearlyallaspectsofanewculture—andforalongperiodoftime,perhapspermanently.

　　ThisimpactandtheimportanceofhavingtoadapttoanewcultureareclearlyarticulatedbyKosicandPhalet:Internationalmigrationcreatesculturallyandethnicallydiversesocieties.Aspeoplefromdifferentculturesinteractwitheachother,theyfacenotonlydifferentbeliefsystems,values,customs,andbehaviors,butunfortunatelyalsoprejudicetowardseachother.Itseemsthatsocialrelationshipsbetweenimmigrantsandlocalpopulationsoftenlackcohesionandsometimesshowstrongantagonismorevenracismunderneathanoutwardappearanceoftolerance.Inpoliticalandpublicdebates,immigrantsareoftendepictedastrouble-makers.78

　　Manyofthesenewcomersexperiencesignificantdifficultywhileadaptingtothehostculture.AsMak,Westwood,Ishiyama,andBarkerpointout,“Newcomersmaynotbereadytolearnandpracticesocialbehaviorsappropriatetothenewcultureintheinitialperiodofsettlement.Itisnotunusualforrecentarrivalstobeoverwhelmedbytheimmediatedemandsandchallengesinorientingtolivinginanewplace.”79Thus,theproblemsfacinganyonetryingtoadapttoanewandoftenquitedifferentculturearenumerous.

　　Duringtheinitialadjustmentperiod,newarrivalswillmostlikelyexperiencethefearsandfeelingsofisolation,beingdisliked,anddistrustwedescribedearlierascultureshock.80Areviewofsomeofthereasonsbehindthesefeelingsisanexcellentfirststepindevelopingtheskillsneededtoadjusttoanewculture.

　　ACCULTURATION:ADJUSTINGTOANEWCULTURE

　　Acculturation,asyoumightguess,istheprocessoflearningtoliveinanewculture.Berrydefinesacculturationas“thedualprocessofculturalandpsychologicalchangethattakesplaceasaresultofcontactbetweentwoormoreculturalgroupsandtheirindividualmembers....Atthe

　　individuallevelitinvolveschangesinaperson’sbehavioralrepertoire.”81Thisprocessofadjustmentisalengthyprocessthatrequiresgainingalargebodyofusefulknowledgeaboutthenewculture.

　　Asyouhaveseenthroughoutthisbook,gatheringafundofknowledgeaboutanotherculturetakesavarietyofforms,rangingfromtheapparenttothesubtle.Forexample,itshouldbeevidenttoyouthatlearningthelanguageofthehostculturewillproducepositiveresults.Nowletusturnourattentiontoafewissuesandstrategiesthatwillexpediteandfacilitatetheadaptationprocess.Wewillfirstexaminetheissuesoflanguage,disequilibrium,andethnocentrism.

　　Language.

　　Itisobviousthatsomeonelivinginanewculture“mustmeetthechallengesoflanguagebarriers,unfamiliarcustomsandpractices,andculturalvariationsinverbalandnonverbalcommunicationstylesinordertoachievesuccessfulunderstanding.”82

　　Notingthisdifficulty,RalphWaldoEmersononcewrote,“Nomanshouldtraveluntilhehaslearnedthelanguageofthecountryhevisits.Otherwisehemakeshimselfagreatbaby—sohelplessandsoridiculous.”Thisproblemisfrequentlyseenamonglong-termsojournersandimmigrantstotheUnitedStateswhohavenotmasteredEnglish.Theyexperiencesocialisolationandare,asLeongandChounote,forced“intofieldsthatrequirelessmasteryofEnglishlanguageandlessinterpersonalinteraction.”83

　　Whenwetalkofproblemsassociatedwithbeingexposedtoanewlanguage,wearetalkingabouttwoideas:languageacquisitionandthewaysofspeakinguniquetothenewculture.Bothofthesecandelaytheadaptationprocess.Harpersummarizesthisviewwhenshenotes,“Lackoflanguageskillsisastrongbarriertoeffectiveculturaladjustmentandcommunication,whereaslackofknowledgeconcerningthewaysofspeakingofaparticulargroupwillreducethelevelofunderstandingthatwecanachievewithourcounterparts.”84Peopletryingtoadjusttoandinteractwithanewculturemustfacechallengesassociatednotonlywithlearninganadditionallanguagebutalsowiththeuniqueculturalpatternsfoundwithineachlanguage.Aswedemonstratedculturalvariationsintheuseoflanguagecanmeanmanythings,fromtheuseofidioms,todifferentrulesforturntaking,tolinguisticwaysofshowingrespect.Ifyoucannotlearnthehostculture’slanguage,thenyoushouldatleasttrytomastersomeofitsbasics,suchasgreetingbehaviors,properpoliteresponses,andwordsthatdealwithpublictransportationandshoppingforfoodandothernecessities.

　　Disequilibrium.

　　Successfuladaptationdemandsacertainlevelofknowledgeaboutthehostcultureandrequiresyoutomakecorrectchoicesregardingthatknowledge.Thosechoicescanincludeeverythingfromlearningpropergreetingbehaviors(suchasbowing,shakinghands,orhugging)todecidingabouteatingutensils(suchaschopsticks,knivesandforks,orfingers).AccordingtoKim,sojournersare,“atleasttemporarily,inastateofdisequilibrium,whichismanifestedinmanyemotional‘lows’ofuncertainty,confusion,andanxiety.”85

　　Thedisequilibriumassociatedwithadaptationraisestwoconflictingissues:(1)arelativepreferenceformaintainingone’snativecultureandidentity,and(2)arelativepreferenceforhavingcontactwithandinteractingwithmembersofthehostculture.86Theseconflictingissuesleadtofourformsofcopingforthesojournermovingintoanewculture.Theserangefromfullacceptanceofthenewculturetoalmosttotalrejection.

　　Thefirst,assimilation,occurswhenimmigrantsnolongerwishtomaintaintheirnativecultural

　　identityandseektobecomeabsorbedintothehostsociety.Thesecondisseparation,whichoccurswhenimmigrantsvalueholdingontotheirnativeculture,turntheirbacksoninteractionwiththehostculture,andturninwardtowardtheirnativeculture.Thethirdform,integration,occurswhensojournershaveaninterestinmaintainingtheirnativecultureduringdailyinteractionswithpeoplefromthehostculture.Inthissituation,somedegreeofthesojourners’nativecultureismaintained,whiletheysimultaneouslytrytofunctionasanintegralmemberoftheirhostculture’ssocialnetwork.Thefinalformismarginalization,whichoccurswherethereislittlepossibilityofmaintainingone’snativeculturalheritage(oftenduetoforcedculturalloss)orlittleinterestinhavingrelationswithothers(oftenforreasonsofexclusionordiscrimination).87Asyoucansee,thefirstthreeformsofcopingaregenerallyelectiveonthepartoftheimmigrant.Thestrategyofmarginalization,however,isgenerallybeyondthechoiceoftheindividualandisaresultofuncontrollableexternalforces.

　　Ethnocentrism.

　　Barrierstoacculturationoftenspringupbecauseofethnocentrism,leadingtoprejudice,whichinturnresultsinmistrust,hostility,andevenhate.88Whatisinterestingaboutethnocentrismisthatitaffectsboththeimmigrantandthehostculture.AccordingtoGouttefarde,membersofthehostculturealsoexperiencemanyoftheadaptationsymptomsassociatedwiththesojourner:feelingsofanxiety,fear,depression,ineptitude,andfatigue.89Thiscanleadtomembersofthehostculturepassingjudgmentonoutsiderswhilethepersontryingtoadaptcannot,orwillnot,expungehisorhernativeculture.Thekeytoeffectiveadaptationisforbothpartiestorecognizethestrongpullofethnocentrismandattempttokeepitincheck.

　　Stress-Adaptation-GrowthDynamic.

　　Inmorerecentwork,KimhasdevelopedatheoreticalmodelthatpaintstheculturaladjustmentprocessasbeingmorecomplexthantheU-andW-curvemodelsofcultureshockthatwediscussedearlier.Sheseesadjustmentasaprocessof“stress-adaptation-growth.”Fromthisperspective,uponenteringthenewculturethesojournerencountersstressasaresultofdevelopingadiminishedabilitytofunctionnormally.Thatis,heorshebecomesstressedwhenconfrontedwithnewanddifferentwaysofdealingwithdailylife.Toreducethestress,thesojournerdevelopsandincorporatesnewculturalnormsrequiredtofunctionnormallyandtherebybeginsadaptationtothenewenvironment.Throughcontinualexperienceofstress-adaptation,theindividual’sperspectivesbroaden,resultinginpersonalgrowth.Thethreecomponentsofstress-adaptation-growthconstituteadynamicprocess.90AccordingtoKim:

　　Thestress-adaptation-growthdynamicplaysoutnotinasmoothlinearprogression,butinacyclicandcontinual“draw-back-to-leap”representationofthepresentarticulationoftheinterrelationshipamongstress,adaptation,andgrowth.Strangersrespondtoeachstressfulexperienceby“drawingback,”whichinturnactivatesadaptiveenergytohelpthemreorganizethemselvesand“leapforward.”...Theprocessiscontinuousaslongastherearenewenvironmentalchallenges.91

　　Toconcludeourdiscussionofadaptingtoaforeignculture,weofferseveralusefulstrategiesyoumayemploytoeaseyouradjustmenttoyournewculture.

　　ADAPTATIONSTRATEGIES

　　MakePersonalContactwiththeHostCulture.

　　Directcontactwiththehostculturepromotesandfacilitatessuccessfuladaptationtoanewculture.Begleyaccentuatestheimportanceofdirectcontactwhenshenotes,“Althoughinsightand

　　knowledgecanbegainedthroughpriorinterculturalstudy,additionalpracticalwisdomisattainedthrougheverydayconversationswithpeoplefromothercultures.”92Makingfriendsisanexcellentmeansofdevelopingcontactswithinthehostculture.Infact,studiespointout“thathavingfriendsamongthenationalsofthehostcountry,ratherthanhavingcontactsonlywithfellowexpatriates,isanimportantdeterminantofsatisfaction.”93Atthesametime,itisimportanttohaveperiodicinteractionwithotherexpatriatessoyoucanshareproblemsandsolutionsandfindadegreeofcomfortinspeakingyournativelanguage.

　　LearnAbouttheHostCulture.

　　Oneofthemajorthemesofthisbookhasbeenthenotionthatdevelopingafundofknowledgeaboutotherculturesisausefulfirststeptowardimprovinginterculturalcommunication.Adaptationbecomeslesstroublesomeifyoubecomeawareofthefundamentalcharacteristicsofthecultureinwhichyouwillbeliving.ChenandStarostanote,“Cultureawarenessreferstoanunderstandingofone’sownandothers’culturesthataffecthowpeoplethinkandbehave.Thisincludesunderstandingcommonalitiesofhumanbehavioranddifferencesinculturalpatterns.”94Weurgeyou,therefore,tolearnabouttheculture’sreligiousorientation,politicalsystem,keyvaluesandbeliefs,verbalandnonverbalbehaviors,familyorganization,socialetiquette,andthelike.

　　ParticipateinCulturalActivities.

　　Anexcellentwaytolearnaboutanewcultureistobeanactiveparticipantinthatculture.Attendsocial,religious,andculturalevents.Ifpossible,trytointeractwithmembersofthehostculturewhileattendingtheseevents.

　　Inmostinstances,membersofthehostculturewillwelcometheopportunitytolearnaboutyourculturewhiletheyaresharingtheirswithyou.