When traveling, volunteering, working, or studying in another culture for a significant amount of time, we feel the effects of a lengthy sojourn. Sometimes known as “culture fatigue”, culture shock is the discomfort that comes with the constant presence of unknown or ambiguous stimuli, along with our response, which can make us feel awkward, uneasy, or even naïve.
Other definitions of culture shock include:
- The feeling of disorientation experienced by someone when they are suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture and way of life.
www.now-health.com - 'Culture shock' describes the impact of moving from a familiar culture to one which is unfamiliar…It can affect anyone, including international students. It includes the shock of a new environment, meeting lots of new people and learning the ways of a different country. It also includes the shock of being separated from the important people in your life... people you would normally talk to at times of uncertainty... When familiar sights, sounds, smells or tastes are no longer there you can miss them very much." - UKCOSA Guidance Note for Students
www.myusf.usfca.edu - Some sort of adjustment you might feel when you are subject to a new way of living and an unfamiliar setting around you.
www.william-russell.com
The result of sustained stress can make us seek out coping mechanisms, such as the barriers described in Module 6. This ongoing stress can deplete our physical, mental, and intellectual energy and may lead to more intense strain that goes with constantly having to adjust to the “newness of our environment”.
Culture shock isn’t a phenomenon only associated with international sojourns. For example, a student moving from a rural community in the Midwest US to an urban setting in the Northeast of the county, will also experience the discomforts of a new environment. Some of the effects may even be magnified as the student attempts to navigate the unexpected regional differences.
Review this alternate definition of culture shock:
Culture shock is a normal process of adapting to a new culture. It is a time when a person becomes aware of the differences and/or conflicts in values and customs between their home culture and the new culture they are in.
https://caps.ku.edu/culture-shock
Although culture shock may seem like a barrier to spending time in another culture, it is also an important part of an intercultural experience and part of the development process. The discomfort that we feel is a signal that something is different, that “something is up”, and that there’s a need to explore and adjust. This process allows us to learn and integrate new ways of doing, and thinking about things. Basically, if you’re not experiencing culture shock, you aren’t learning about and adapting to a new culture. There are endless ways that people experience culture shock and extensive research on the topic. The following five stages represent one view on the culture shock experience.
Honeymoon Stage
In this stage, you are excited, curious, intrigued by your new surroundings. It may last from weeks to months, and corresponds to an understanding of the “ways of doing” reviewed in Module 1. You may look for similarity during this stage, and because of your attitude, you may have a heightened (positive) view of the local culture. Things that would otherwise annoy you (e.g., traffic noise), are amusing and enjoyable.
Negotiation Stage
This stage is characterized by frustration and heightened stress. You have now been in your new environment for a few months or longer, and you are feeling more uncomfortable, and confused. Even small things like reading a menu, and paying your utility bill create effort and misunderstanding and you are feeling fatigued by it all. You are probably missing people and romanticizing the life you have in your home culture. The local people are not as friendly as initially thought, and this is making you feel more isolated and disconnected.
Adjustment Stage
In this stage, you are more attuned to your surroundings. You begin to have a better understanding of the thinking and value systems in your host culture. You probably have local friends, speak some of the language, and you are competent within your living and activity spaces. You will continue to have difficulties, but you are now more logical and flexible in approaching them, and can interpret things beyond your original world view.
Adaptation Stage
Within the adaptation stage, you are comfortable, and can interact effectively within your local environment. You have regular routines, and can communicate effectively within several business, educational, and social contexts. You have a sense of belonging, feel “at home”, and although you miss friends and family, you don’t feel “homesick”.
Re-entry Shock
Re-entry (or reverse) culture shock occurs when you return home after living in another culture for an extended period. You are filled with the excitement of having learned new customs, traditions, and possibly a new language, but your friends and family may not share the same level of enthusiasm. They haven’t had the same experiences as you, and you feel frustrated not being able to relate to others what you’ve gone through. You expect things to be the same, but the environment has changed, and people have moved on. When first entering a new culture, there are expectations that things will be different. This is something that isn’t considered with re-entry, and this can create a greater “shock”.
During the Honeymoon stage a person’s mood is at a high point, with the Negotiation Stage showing the experience at its lowest point. During the Adjustment Stage, there is a definite upturn in a person’s mood, but there can be fluctuations along the way before things shift upwards into the Adaptation Stage. Finally, during the Re-entry Stage, a person’s mood drops at varying levels before going through adjustments at “home”.