Culture Shock

University of Iceland Business and intercultural Communication (VI? 512G) Teacher: ? ora Christiansen 30. 11. 2010 Culture shock * my personal experience Eydis Brynjarsdottir kt:091085-3569 Table of Contents 1. 0 Introduction3 2. 0 Definition of culture shock3 3. 0 Culture shock lifecycle4 4. 0 Culture shock triangle6 5. 0 My personal experience8 6. 0 Ten steps to minimize culture shock8 7. 0 Conclusion9 1. 0 Introduction I chose culture shock for my discussion in this assignment. I will discuss the definition of Culture shock and how it affects people.I will also discuss some theories and in the end I will give a short story from my own experience. 2. 0 Definition of culture shock The definition of culture shock refers generally to the unpleasant experience that people get when they are coming in contact with other cultures than their own. Their experience of a new culture is seen as unpleasant surprise/shock that occurs when expectations do not match reality. Working in a new cultu re can lead a variety of reactions for an example: * Confusion about what to do * Anxiety * Frustration * Inappropriate behavior Depression All of these are possible reactions to culture shock, which is the shock that we experience when we are confronted with the unknown. Researches show that culture shock can be both short and sharp or long term and deep, and what appears to be the identifier is the degree of difference from one? s own and the host culture, the degree of preparation, social support networks and individual psychological characteristics. The longer time that the individual experiences the culture shock, the greater is the feeling of helplessness and performance deficit.There are several symptoms of cultural shock, but the most common are: * Feeling isolated * Anxiety and worries * Reduction in the job performance * High energy * Helplessness The inclusion of high energy is caused by changing the circumstances in the adaption process The longer that the manager experi enced the culture shock the greater where the feelings of helplessness and performance deficit. Hofstede differentiate three different states of adaptation comparing feelings and emotions of the residence to the situation in the home culture before the assignment.It may remain negative compared to home, for example, if the visitor continues feeling an monster and discriminated against. It may be just as good as before, in which the visitor can be considered to be adapt bicultural or it may be better. In the last case the visitor has â€Å"gone native† it has become more Roman than the Romans. 3. 0 Culture shock life cycle Kalervo Oberg (1901-1973) was an anthropologist, who explained the symptoms and process of adapting a different culture. Oberg listed six main aspects of culture shock: * Strain caused by the effort to adapt Sense of loss and feelings of deprivation in relation to friends, status, profession and possessions * Feeling rejected by or rejecting members of the n ew culture * Confusion in role, values and self-identity * Anxiety and anger about foreign practices * Feeling of helplessness The term cultural shock was first presented by Oberg in 1954, where he outlined the consequences of strain and anxiety resulting from contact with a new culture and the feelings of loss of accustomed cultural cues and social rules. That model puts you through a life cycle of four distinct phases on the way to the final adaption.Figure 1 Table 1Table 2 The first table shows us the four phases in the adaptation process. The honeymoon phase is the first phase of the process. There are all the encounters in the new place seen exciting, stimulating and positive. The new life is perceived as endless opportunities and happiness. There is curiosity and openness combined with readiness to accept what is to come. â€Å"Most importantly in this stage judgment is reserved and even minor irritations are suppressed in favor of concentrating on the nice things about the j ob, the country, the colleagues, the food, etc. †: (Elisabeth Marx, 1999).Culture shock is the second phase in the process, this is when the manager realizes that everything is not as it should be. The experience of foreigners can start uncomfortable feelings such as stress, irritability or negative view of the country, colleagues or the job. This phase is often characterized as uncomfortable situations, but the main reason for these symptoms is the uncertainty about surroundings, us and the future. â€Å"The usual signs of orientation and the belonging do not exist, we don’t quite know who we are without the familiar social context, and the way our foreign colleagues behave seems â€Å"all wrong†: (Elisabeth Marx, 1999).How mangers deal with this phase, the emotions and expectations is essential for their adaption on the long run. The best way to come at is to use the symptoms and the unpleasantness as an indicator to change our approximation and form our self- development to understand us and deal with our emotions and sometimes other people. Recovery is the third phase in our first figure and that starts with accepting that we have a problem that needs to be worked on. Recovery and the final adjustment phase generally involve a compromise between feelings and thinking of the honeymoon phase and the culture shock phase. This compromise is between our exaggerate expectations and reality†: (Elisabeth Marx, 1999). The final phase, Final adjustment, managers have become able to work effectively after knowing their limitations of their skills. They can take on a new ways of doing things and what most that matters is being flexible. Elisabeth Marx made table 2 in figure one, we should examine it a little bit. There are many experts that have tried to specify the timing on the phases but the thing is that there is no rule for it. The timing of culture shock depends on how different the culture is from your own.It makes more sense to use a model of culture shock that is not that strictly linear but integrates a cycle that shows positive and negative phases until you break through the culture shock as in table 2. The thing is that international assignments tend to be more short term than long term and more executives working on the projects so we cannot use the same model, although the concept is the same. The thing is that short term international work does not allow for the same long term adaption process and therefore distinct honeymoon, culture shock and readjustment phases will not occur.Marx found it to be more realistic to use a model that is not strictly linear but integrates a dynamic and repetitive cycle of positive and negative phases until you break through Culture Shock. â€Å"Instead there will be more of a mixture of positive and negative emotions, of uncertainty and clarity, of enjoyment and frustration†: (Elisabeth Marx, 1999). Figure one shows us also the mood changes so we are able to use thes e phases in more ways than just a job, for example marriage. In a short description, phase one involves excitement, euphoria and optimism, like in a honeymoon.Second phase is confronting the unknown and negative aspects like confusion, anxiety and frustration. We will at some point recover from the moodiness and anxiety of the culture shock and in the final phase we head for a readjustment. 4. 0 Culture shock triangle Elisabeth Marx developed a model from Oberg’s idea to describe culture shock. According to Marx international managers experience culture shock psychically at three levels. She uses the â€Å"culture shock triangle† to describe these 3 levels which are: * Emotions – coping with mood swings Thinking – understanding foreign colleagues * Social skills and identity – developing a social and professional network and effective social skills. Figure 2 Questions those international mangers are supposed to ask feature: * Emotions – what am I likely to feel? How will I handle the stress of international work? * Thinking – what will I think? Have effective are my solutions? * Social skills and identity – how effectively will I communicate with foreign analogue? Managers that have adapted these levels lead to following: Handle stress of the transition. * Changing the perception and translation of events and behavior. * Developing effective social skills and an international identity. These aspects combine to form the culture shock triangle, accomplish the international effectiveness on culture shock. These three factors can influence each other in some way for example feeling frustrated can have negative effect on how we think and how we act. Another example is if we feel pessimistic and stressed out our solutions to the problems can be ineffective.Out of this can we clearly see that those factors do remain together, so positive mood and optimism produce better solutions. Social identity and skills are very important when we are going to work abroad. We need to know who we are and be confident and secure with ourselves so we can start to work in and with another culture. When we interact closely with the foreign culture we experience the conflicts between our own values and those of the foreign culture. When we get more concerned we develop alternative ways of behaving and that makes us able to view of ourselves from a different perspective.As we can see this is all part of self development that people passes through during international challenges. Marx insists on the fact that the culture shock phase is an integral part of the adaption phase and should have no negative connotations. These are normal reactions of people who confront the foreign but give no indication of future success. The success depends on the strategies and motives of the company as it wishes to co-operate with, or take over another. 5. 0 My personal experienceI have experienced a culture shock but just a mino r shock. When I was visiting my aunt in Stockholm we took the tube down town to Gamla stan. Like everybody knows there are many people in the city so it is kind of crowded and most people are on a hurry but I was on the other hand is in a vacation so there were no rush. When me and my aunt were going down the escalator I just stood in the middle like I always do in Kringlan and were nosy about my new surroundings. Suddenly I hear a man hawking himself behind me†¦ and I , what the hell is his problem!Then my aunt turns around and tells me to stand in the right in the escalator because people who are on a hurry should be able to run down on the left side in the escalator. This is a unwritten rule that people in Stockholm keep up with and I had no idea about that! 6. 0 Ten steps to minimize culture shock The book Breaking through culture shock by Elisabeth Marx gives examples of 10 steps to minimize culture shock. 1) â€Å"Do not let culture shock take you by surprise. Allow time to find out about it before you leave for your assignment.Learn to recognize the symptoms and the potential impact†: (Elisabeth Marx, 1999). 2) â€Å"Expect culture shock to happen irrespective of location. It is as likely to occur in a country near to your home base as in posting further afield†: (Elisabeth Marx, 1999). 3) â€Å"As soon as you arrive in your new location, identify all the opportunities for building support networks with other international managers and with local people†: (Elisabeth Marx, 1999). 4) â€Å"As with any stressful situation, fight it, do not give in to it.So do not resort to escapist strategies such as drinking or eating too much and do not deny your symptoms†: (Elisabeth Marx, 1999). 5) â€Å"Ask other international managers for guidance on the issue and problems too look out for. Learn from their experience†: (Elisabeth Marx, 1999). 6) â€Å"Give yourself time to adapt and do not rush into too many work related proj ects at the start of the assignment. Make sure that the organization gives you this time too†: (Elisabeth Marx, 1999). 7) â€Å"Do not hesitate to seek a professional help if symptoms persist despite your coping efforts.Help may be available within your company or externally through counselors or the medical profession†: (Elisabeth Marx, 1999). 8) â€Å"Expect the same symptoms to reoccur when you come home. Reverse culture shock is normal†: (Elisabeth Marx, 1999). 9) â€Å"Thinking about the positive aspect of culture shock – people who experience it adapt better to their new environment than those who do not†: (Elisabeth Marx, 1999). 10) â€Å"Retain sense of humor! † : (Elisabeth Marx, 1999). 7. 0 Conclusion After all the reading for this project I should be able to define and handle myself if I go abroad.I did not imagine that culture shock can be that effective on people and their lives, just because of moving! The by word that we could obtain here is â€Å"better safe than sorry†.Bibliography Elisabeth Marx. (1999). Breaking through culture shock. London: Nicholas Brealey publishing. Hofstede, Geert H. (2001). Culture? s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations. Thousand Oaks. Marie-Joelle Browaeys and Roger Price. (2008). Understanding cross-cultural management. Edinburgh: Prentice Hall. Culture Shock Abstract The factors of culture shock are various. Different values, beliefs and customs can create information overload. Besides, language barrier reduces the understanding of the new culture and makes people feel isolated. In addition, the difference in food is one of the main factors of culture shock. Original eating habit is not easy to change, so it becomes more difficult to fit in. Moreover, people from different social structures cause culture shock. Furthermore, the individual differences such as age, sex, socio-economic class and education also influence degree of culture shock.Culture shock typically occurs in a four-stage process that can unfold over varying lengths of time: the honeymoon, negotiation, adjustment, and mastery phases. In the honeymoon phase, people always feel excited and fascinated about the culture. After that is negotiation phase which is the real culture shock. In this stage, people are struggle in the differences between cultures. When people start to recover, they jump to the next stage, adjustment phase. In the last stage, people will start to embrace the new culture.Different people experience culture shock in different ways and to different degrees, but they all go through the same process of this model. People in this situation will have both positive and negative effects which influence people psychologically and physically. It causes depression, anxiety and hopelessness and, in turn, it will reduce problem solving skill, inefficiency of work and negative interpersonal relationships. Besides, it also causes physical symptoms like colds and headaches. However, it also brings positive effects such as self-confidence, self-motivation, culture sensitivity and language skills.Culture shock is a temporary phase. There are various ways to reduce these emotions. Keep in touch with family and friends by making phone calls, using web chat or sharing photos and experience on social networks. Get involved in local activities and make n ew friends can reduce the negative emotions. Explore is another good ways to maintain the excitement stage longer. Be open mindedness and have positive attitude is the key to overcome this. Keywords: culture shock; Oberg; phases of Culture Shock; causes, effects and solutions 1. Introduction – Culture ShockIn the last decade, an increasing number of people have opted to study, work or live in a foreign country which is totally different in culture and environment. When people visit an unfamiliar culture for the first time, it results in culture shock. The term Culture Shock was coined by a world renowned anthropologist Kalervo Oberg in a 1954 speech in Rio de Janeiro. He introduced his model for  Culture Shock, four phases when people encounter a new culture. The first time when people visit or move to another country, they are often astonished by the differences between other cultures and their own.These differences sometimes make people feel uncomfortable, frustrated, fea rful or insecure. In Oberg’s speech, he defined Culture Shock as follows: â€Å"Culture Shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse. These signs or cues include the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the situations of daily life. † Culture shock is a psychological stress which happens in the beginning when visiting another country which causes not only negative but also positive effects.This paper aims to investigate the causes, the effects and the solutions as a practical guide to those who are about to start this adventure. 2. Causes of Culture Shock There are several factors that cause culture shock. 2. 1 Information overload People who face a different culture or environment for the first time will inadequately use their own culture as a standard to interpret, judge and behave in the new culture. This is â€Å"information overload†. There are various things that wil l hit people immediately when they arrive in a new country, like traffic signs, sounds, table manners and other customs in daily life.In addition, people from different countries have a different cultural value which is built on deeply-embedded sets of values, norms and beliefs. This cannot easily be changed in a short time. People try to interpret new language meanings, new nonverbal, behavioral, contextual and social communication which is unfamiliar with their immanent knowledge and originate systems. This generates emotional and mental burnout. 2. 2 Language Language can create even greater barriers between cultures. Knowledge about the culture and language are essential to understand the host culture.Thus, the misunderstood cross cultural communication becomes one factor. People who come to a new country at an adult age can have particular difficulties overcoming the language barrier. People will fail to communicate, misunderstand each other, and have different intonation and p ronunciation. It makes people feel frustrated when communicating. For example, when people order food in restaurants, use bank services or have classes at school, they will face various obstacles in communicating. Besides, it is impossible to become proficiency very fast especially for students who study abroad.Although people try very hard to improve their language, they still have some difficulties which cannot be solved in a short time. Thus, the language barriers can influence the isolation which causes a lot of stress and strain. 2. 3 Food It is fact that food is different from country to country. It tastes different, or is cooked differently. The eating habit is a difficult factor to change. Thus, it is one of the important factors which cause culture shock. Although food is imported and exported very frequently, it is harder and more expensive to buy the food you like.For instance, people cannot find ingredients which they are used to eat or cannot find restaurants which are similar to their home country. People need a lot of time to recreate recipes by using the local food and spices to suit their original eating habits. Therefore, people will face lots of difficulties in getting used to this. This doesn’t take only a few months, but sometimes years. 2. 4 Social structure Another important example is the extent of individualism or collectivism exhibited.Collectivism is mostly seen in the cultures of  Asia, Africa, parts of Europe and Latin America which have stronger values promoted in groups and interdependently, whereas individualism is mostly seen in the cultures of Western Europe and North America which endorse independence and individual goals. Ergo, people form collectivist societies who move to individualist societies and vice versa feel like a fish out of water. 2. 5 Individual differences The factors vary according to personality and the ability to cope with new environments. It includes age, sex, socio-economic class, and education.K nowledge about a culture and previous experience abroad are commonly considered in relation to cross-cultural adaptation. Some personality factors are generally believed to influence this process. For example, children do not have much culture shock. But when people grow to a certain age, the degree of culture shock starts to increase. Males are more malleable than females, thus they can adapt to a new culture faster. 3. The phases of Culture Shock Kalervo Oberg (1954) classified culture shock into four stages—Honeymoon, Negotiation, Adjustment and Mastery which is known as U-Curve model.Different people experience culture shock in different ways and to different degrees but they all follow Oberg’s four stages model. 3. 1 The honeymoon phase In this period, everything about the foreign culture is so new and intriguing. People feel enthusiastic, excited and fascinated about the new culture, particularly about food, drink, pace of life and locals’ habits. Figure 1 displays that they experience a level of 5. 5 in adjusting to the new culture. It is always combined with openness, curiosity, and a readiness to accept the situation.It is similar as honeymoon period that everything about it seems perfect. However, this stage lasts only for the first few weeks. Figure 1The degree of adjustment to culture shock in honeymoon phase is just over 5. 5. After this short period, the figure plunges to around 2. 5, the lowest point which is the negotiation phase and this is the real culture shock stage. When people overcome it, they will be in the adjustment phase. The figure from this stage proliferate over 4. 0, followed by the mastery phase which increases to 6. 0 and over. | 3. 2 The negotiation phaseAfter the excitement drifts away, the actual culture shock emerges. The differences between new and old cultures stand out which cause unpleasant feelings of anxiety and frustration. The degree of adjustment plummets to around 2. 5 (figure1). Generally, it is caused by language barriers, culture values, public hygiene, traffic safety or food accessibility. These differences will provoke uncertainty about oneself and the surroundings because of the lack of belonging and the unfamiliarity and disconnection with the old culture. This results in feeling lonely and homesick. Communication is the main factor.Language barrier become the catalyst of these negative emotions. It often lasts at least three months, depending on individuals. 3. 3 The adjustment phase During this stage, things become normal. This is also known as a recovery stage. People start to understand and get accustomed to and feel more comfortable with the new culture, and then they will develop their own routines. People will try overcoming their problems. The negative reactions are reduced. Thus, the language barrier and the relationship to the host nation start to improve. People are able to be more flexible and can work effectively.Figure 1 shows that the degree of adju stment is cover to that of the Honeymoon phase and even exceeds it. 3. 4 The mastery phase In the final stage, people fully and comfortably participate in the host culture and embrace the new environment, but still maintain their home culture. It is often regarded as the  biculturalism  stage. The level of acceptance often reaches 6. 5 according to Figure 1. Not every person in every situation goes through the same process of Oberg’s model. These stages often blend and overlap. It differs for individuals, and varies in length. 4. Effects of Culture Shock 4. 1 Negative effects . 1. 1 Psychological effects Change may cause stress. The symptoms of culture shock are essentially psychological. The major symptoms may be described as depression, anxiety and feelings of helplessness. If depression, anxiety and feelings of helplessness accumulate, the degree and extent of psychological disorientation may be deeper and deeper so that people may have difficulties in paying attention to the learning of new cultures. Moreover, psychological disorientation may influence people’s abilities to solve problems and to make decisions. This decreases the motivation for adapting to the new conditions.Most important is that when people fail to defeat the symptoms of culture shock, they are likely to become hostile to the host nationals, which may lead to negative interpersonal relationships. Therefore, dealing with psychological stress caused by culture shock such as depression, anxiety and feelings of helplessness is significant for those people who come into contact with a new culture. 4. 1. 2 Physical effects However, there are also physical symptoms that may manifest themselves in the form of an increased incidence of minor illnesses (e. g. colds and headaches) or more serious psychosomatic illnesses brought on by depression. . 2 Positive effects On the contrary, not all the effects are negative. With time and patience, people can experience positive effects of culture shock, such as increased self-confidence, improved self-motivation and cultural sensitivity. Besides, people can improve their language fast. Moreover, we can learn to adapt to different people from different countries, different religious or different social values, and also learn to respect their customs and beliefs. Furthermore, it can challenge us in solving problems in daily life and finding positive effects in the difficulties.It makes people more self-confident and provokes self-motivation in the future. 5. Solutions Culture shock is normally a temporary phase. There are various ways to reduce the effects of culture shock. Everyone has to find their own balance between the values of their home country and those of the host country. 5. 1 Keep in touch Staying in touch with your family and friends at home will help you reduce and help overcome the effects of culture shock. The Internet makes it very easy to maintain regular contact, for example by using web chat or voi ce calls, or by sharing news, information and photos of your life on social networks.It is wise to set a regular time to call people back home or share photos and experiences on Facebook. 5. 2 Explore Exploring is one of the nice ways to overcome the negative emotions from culture shock. Everyone should get a copy of a travel guidebook like Lonely Planet, read it, actually study it and become familiar with it. This will help to understand the people and their history. 5. 3 Involvement Joining local activities like festivals, sport clubs or learning to cook local dishes, are ways to be proactive in making new friends. Making friends with other nonnative people can help you understand your emotions.Most importantly, making friends with local people is essential as you can learn more about their culture faster. 5. 4 Open mindedness The key to reduce negative effects of culture shock is in a positive attitude. Open mindedness is an important factor to understand and accept the new cultu re and environment. People who restrict themselves in their culture and habits find it impossible to overcome the unpleasant feeling of the new culture. Therefore, having a positive attitude and being open minded are indispensible in reducing the negative effects of culture shock. 6. ConclusionFrom one culture to another, the differences among them cause feelings of unfamiliarity. This results in a large amount of psychological stress such as depression, anxiety and feelings of helplessness. However, there are various solutions for different people to deal with these symptoms. Before entering a new cultural environment, it is very important for all people to make full preparation. Understanding the process of culture shock and features of a new culture may be useful for all. Most people will experience culture shock in one form or another. It is not a sign that they have made a mistake, or that they are not coping.Learning to embrace the uncertainty and initial discomfort and findin g all of the positive things around them are essential. The symptoms will pass before too long and they will probably find that it has been a useful learning experience, whether they intend to return to their home country or not. Bibliography [1] Ashim C. Uwaje, â€Å"Culture shock, Re-Integration and Re-Entry culture shock – Managing Cultural Differences† 2009 [2] Furnham, A. and S. Bochner, â€Å"Culture Shock: Psychological Reactions to Unfamiliar Environments† London and New York: Methuen & Co Limited, 1986 [3] Grant G.Frost, â€Å"A Consideration of How Non-aboriginal Educators Working Among First Nations Populations May Be Particularity Susceptible To the Effects of Culture Shock† Mount Saint Vincent University, September 2007 [4] Manz Sonja, â€Å"Culture Shock – Causes, Consequences and Solutions: The International Experience† 2003 [5] Oberg Kalvero, â€Å"Cultural Shock: adjustment to new cultural environments† Practical Anthropology, 7, 1960: 177-182 [6] Rachel Irwin, â€Å"Culture shock: negotiating feelings in the field† Anthropology Matters Journal, University of Oxford, 2007, Vol 9 (1) [7] Sheila M.Fabrizio, â€Å"Cultural adaptation in outdoor programming† Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, 9(2), 2005: 44-56 [8] Wikipedia: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Culture_shock#Reverse_culture_shock Culture Shock Hadi Islais, SALP 501AB (21044/21045) Developmental Composition. 4/11/13 What is culture shock? Some people would say it is only just a few new things you may find in another countries that is not that hard to get used to it, but I don’t think so because culture shock is a huge things and that is why it is been called shock and you have to learn how to live with in the new place that you going to be live at. There are many new things that person should know before moving to another culture such as the new language, the country’s rules, and the new weather.Learning the new language of the new country consider one of the important things to do to communicate with the people. First of all, you should know about the new language that you are going to use in the new culture. It is too hard to live in a community without knowing how to talk with the people because in this way you will not be able to move from your place to wherever you want you to go. Also you are going to wa ste a lot of time trying to explain to the people the things you are trying to say and you will be using the sign language until you be able to learn the new language.Knowing the rules of the new country you are going to live in will always help you to be in the safe side and never have a problems. First of all, you have to learn about the driving rules if you are planning to drive a car or any other vehicles. Some country like the US they are very serious about it and consider it an important thing to learn all the rules and take both the writing and the driving test. On the other hand, other countries like Saudi Arabia doesn’t really care that much about driving rules and that is why it is one of the countries that have a high records of cars accidents every day.Second, you have to know the school’s rules if you are planning to study in a new countries. Some countries like the US consider attending all the classes a very important rule and student should not miss any class unless the student have an emergence reason for example like a medical appointment. In the end, knowing all the rules about the country you are going to will always keep you in the safe side. Knowing about the weather is an important thing to know, so you don’t get sick because of the weather changing between you previous and new culture.First of all, many countries may have too many different change in the weather. For example the weather in Los Angeles, Ca is beautiful most of the time. It is not that hot in the summer, also not the cold in the winter. Weather doesn’t really change a lot like in other countries. In the summer the weather is very nice, so the people can spend their holidays or the weekends on the beach and enjoying their time with their family or their friend. The can swim, play with sand, or lie on the beach. In The winter, they can go camping. Many people like to do it in the winter.These are some of the things that make the weather different than other countries like Middle East countries. In conclusion, moving from your culture to another culture is a difficult thing and you should know as much as you can about the new culture you are moving to. You have to learn their language so, you will be able to communicate with the people in there. Also you should know the rules about this country, so you don’t get in trouble. Finally you have to know about the weather in this new place and cooperate with the other weather in your country.