CULTURE SHOCKOne of the inevitable experiences of immersion in a new and unfamiliar culture is culture shock. It happens to everybody. It's important to know that culture shock and its symptoms are normal and to be expected in cross-cultural immersion experiences. The term culture shock is not quite accurate because it refers to a range of responses that take place over time. It isn't a single jolt. Culture shock is the sense of dislocation along with the problems, psychological and even physical, that result from the stress of trying to make the hundreds of adjustments necessary for living in a foreign culture. The first stage of experiencing a new culture is usually euphoria. Everything about the exciting new adventure is wonderful. This stage generally lasts no longer than two weeks, and some people skip it altogether. Travelers sometimes go home before they have progressed to the next stage. The second stage is usually a downturn as disillusionment and frustration arise. This is usually the stage people refer to when they use the term culture shock. It is a sense of dislocation that results from finding out that inadequacies exist in your understanding, your mental road map, for navigating in this new culture. You don't know what you don't know. Finding out what you don't know is exhausting, even when it is also exciting. Inevitably there are disappointments, in yourself and in others; inevitably you make mistakes. When the adjustment to a new culture means an upward change in status, people feel good about the new culture longer. When the adjustment means a downward change in status, people feel unhappy more quickly. Most sojourners experience psychological symptoms of culture shock. Some people find themselves becoming depressed. They may experience long periods of homesickness. Some are very lonely, and they may be involved in relationships that they wouldn't form if they were in their own culture. Nearly all sojourners and temporary residents in a new culture experience dissatisfaction with the way things are. Things that formerly seemed acceptable become irritations. Sojourners can become aggressive and exhibit unpleasant behavior that they would not use at home. They may get angry easily and express hostility and suspicion towards members of their host culture. Frequently culture shock shows itself when sojourners believe native members of the culture are trying to take advantage of them—to overcharge them, for example—because they are foreign. Physical symptoms of distress also can result from this stage of culture shock. They include aches and pains in limbs, headaches, chronic fatigue and lack of energy, loss of appetite, inability to get a good night's sleep, stomach upsets, and frequent colds or flu. This stage can last longer than the first euphoric stage – perhaps months. The third stage is adjustment. As the expatriate sees both sides and learns more about how the other culture works, he or she is able to cooperate more effectively with members of the host culture. Some successes may occur, and solutions may be found for the problems that seemed so unreasonable and intractable in stage two. At this stage business can probably be conducted successfully. The fourth stage, integration,occurs when the expatriate becomes fluent enough in the other culture to move easily within it and not be thrown by the different attitudes, beliefs, and values and by the behaviors they generate. Often linguistic fluency accompanies this stage. At this stage the expatriate is able to identify with the host culture. Businesses whose employee achieves integration in another culture may feel at some risk. They may worry that their employee, who is now so at home in another culture, does not totally represent them anymore. Most people who work in another culture, regardless of the length of the stay, experience all four stages of culture shock. Furthermore, the longer one stays, the more cycles one goes through; the fourth stage, in which one feels comfortable in the new culture, leads to another euphoric stage, followed by frustration and disappointment, followed by adjustment, and so on. You can reduce the symptoms of culture shock if you are prepared to deal with it: - Before you leave home, think about what you'll miss most and try to make some arrangements to keep it in your life. Take books, music, and personal possessions that are important to you. - Think about what you can do to pass holidays and special days that you usually spend with family and friends. - Make plans to keep in touch with special people and to have funds for an occasional phone call or package. E-mail is widespread and a convenient way to feel you are in touch. In some countries it is expensive, so you may need to make some arrangements before you go for ensuring a reliable connection. - If you can get people to write on a regular basis, you'll find you appreciate their news very much. For example, family members or people you work with could take turns, each writing a message by E-mail or snail mail once a week. - You can also feel closer to home if you can find people in the new environment who are from your own culture. But beware of the tendency to develop an "us" and "them" attitude toward the host culture; foreigners can encourage each other to adopt hostile views of the natives that make it harder to deal with culture shock, not easier. - It helps to have someone to talk to who will listen sympathetically—preferably someone from the host culture. You may be able to be the listener, too; look around and see who is a foreigner in your midst. - It also helps to know that culture shock does pass. The downward pattern of depression and loneliness eventually gives way to an upward swing of optimism and connection with the new culture. As the date of departure for home draws near, most sojourners feel positive about the new culture they have experienced, and positive about themselves.
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