Initially these can seem like a minefield of manners as you inevitably fall foul of them, and the effect may be a little disorienting. All of the above can all contribute to culture shock. We might think of culture shock as a purely social phenomenon, but it can have real, physiological symptoms: Fortunately a great deal of ink has been spent on discussing the effects of culture shock. What the vast majority of these studies agree on is that there are 6 distinct phases of culture shock:.
What is Culture Shock, and What Can I do to Avoid it?
A typical reaction is to only associate with other expats from your home country — existing in a cocoon, avoiding all but chance encounters with the locals. It will impart valuable skills that are germane to almost any future endeavors, whether personal or professional, and is arguably the main benefit of spending meaningful time abroad.
Despite those initial feelings of bewilderment, culture shock is a vital part of developing as a human being.
As the Romantic philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau puts it: It is necessary to know how to travel. You love the differences, meeting new people, tasting new foods, seeing different architecture, doing new things, working in your new job. This phase can last days, weeks, or months. The Honeymoon is Over Phase: During this phase, you're noticing differences, even slight differences, and typically not in a good way.
You don't like people's attitudes, you have had enough of the food and just want mom's home cooking.
Essentially, during this phase you decide whether you will succumb to negativity or negotiate past it to make the most of your experience. If you're successful, you regain your sense of perspective, balance, and humour, and move on to the next phase.
You feel more at home with the differences in the new culture. Depending on how big a change a person has experienced, the person may feel as if the culture isn't in fact new, but that they belong, or the person may not exactly feel part of the culture, but they're comfortable enough with it to enjoy the differences and challenges.
CULTURE SHOCK
The honeymoon period Everything is wonderful! The shock itself But little by little, without apparent reason, your state of mind seems to deteriorate and everything appears to become more difficult and more complicated. The recovery phase After a period of shock, it is important to try and find an adequate response and to give yourself the means to recover. The period of adjustment You manage to work efficiently and you feel at peace with yourself. How to manage Culture shock?
- Marrying Molly.
- Why culture shock is good for you | Work the World.
- Haemodialysis (New Clinical Applications: Nephrology).
- What Is Culture Shock? | InterNations;
- Gesellschafts-Transformation im 21. Jahrhundert: Ein neues Konzept sozialen Wandels (German Edition).
- Sinais do Passado (Losttimes Livro 1) (Portuguese Edition).
There are three different areas in which you can take appropriate measures: Analyse your difficulties Manage your emotions Develop a social and professional support network. Analyse your difficulties The more you can identify the problems that disturb you, the better you can respond to them.
Examine the following issues: Am I going to adapt easily? What is likely to cause me problems in this context of work?
An Emotional Rollercoaster
Is the culture of the host country individualistic or more collectivistic? And how about my own culture? What will be the dominant values of my own culture when faced with those of the host country? Materialistic or more human and spiritual? Manage your emotions better Thinking ahead is the best way to protect yourself. You can prepare by anticipating certain scenarios and ask yourself the following questions: How am I going to react and what am I going to feel in this new environment?
How am I going to face up to the stress of international humanitarian work?