What Is Culture Shock?
Culture shock can happen when a person undergoes a sudden change in their surroundings or lifestyle. This may be due to relocating to a new city or country, switching jobs, beginning college or university, getting married, having children, or retiring — essentially, any significant life event.
Another way to define culture shock is as an emotional or psychological response to living in a new environment where one’s cultural values are different from those of the people who surround him.
This may include being shocked by the language, customs, or behavior of the locals. It also includes feeling uncomfortable with the differences between the way things work in the foreign culture and how they worked at home.
It can be difficult to adjust to these differences at first because there may be many things about the new situation that seem strange. This is especially true if the person has been living in his home country all their life. A person experiencing culture shock may feel out of place, uncomfortable, stressed, confused, being homesick and feeling isolated.
What causes culture shock?
When you move to a new country or environment that exposes you to different customs, values, beliefs, norms, laws, rules, traditions, and behaviours, experiencing culture shock is more common than not. Initially, you may feel overwhelmed because you are unsure how to react to situations that are entirely unfamiliar to you, and identifying the cause of culture shock can be challenging.
Different cultures also express emotions differently, which can make it challenging to communicate with the locals. Learning more about how different cultures show emotions, can ease your culture shock.
For example, when I went to Mexico for the first time, I was feeling unease of not knowing all the time what is going to happen at what time. In Finland, I was used to routines and schedules, and I could trust people being punctual.
In the beginning, I was frustrated and stressed but once I understood that I cannot control other people’s use of time, I started to enjoy this new way of living.
The Honeymoon Stage
When you’re in the process of moving to a new place, it’s normal to feel thrilled and eager. You’ve likely packed all your belongings, found a new job, and are ready to begin a new chapter in your life. However, even though the excitement may seem to last forever, it typically comes to an end.
Usually, the initial excitement stage only lasts for three to six months. It’s essential to acknowledge that the transition may not always be easy, and many individuals may encounter difficulties while trying to adapt to their new environment after this phase.
The Disorientation and Frustration Stage
During this stage, you may find yourself feeling frustrated because you don’t understand how things work in the new place. For example, you might have trouble understanding why someone says “yes,” even though it seems like they mean “no.” Or you may wonder why everything takes so much longer than in your home town.
If you’re moving to another part of the world, you’ll probably experience some of these feelings in daily life. Even though, in the beginning none of these things really bothered you, even the smallest things may set you off. You feel lost and confused about what is happening around you, and you may feel that your brain doesn’t know what it’s supposed to do. Why suddenly everything seems strange?
Navigating the disorientation stage can be made easier by understanding the distinctions between individualist and collectivist cultures.
The Rejection and Anger Stage
You may experience discomfort with everything that is unfamiliar to you. You might even have negative thoughts towards local customs and traditions, feeling that they are too different from what you are used to.
This can also cause you to miss your friends and family back home, leading you to idealize your life before the move. This transition can also result in minor health problems and physical symptoms.
The Adaptation Stage
The final stage of the culture shock is called the adaptation phase. This is the period where you begin to adapt to your new culture and lifestyle. You become accustomed to the changes that surround you and realize that moving isn’t such a big deal.
You adjust to your new life and learn to embrace the new culture. You begin to learn about the language, customs, traditions and laws, and you will also start to make friends, form relationships and have a new social life. It’s inevitable that you’ll feel homesick from time to time, especially if you don’t speak the language well. However, as you continue to learn about your new home in daily basis, you’ll start to see it as something unique.
Coping with culture shock requires taking small steps and being patient with yourself. Although feeling out of place and experiencing change can be overwhelming, it is important to remember that it is a temporary phase. With time, you will adapt to your new environment and even begin to enjoy the experience.
Moving abroad may involve experiencing culture shock, but it does not have to prevent you from living in another country.
Learn intercultural communication skills today and enroll in Master Intercultural Communication- Online Course.
Source: investopedia.com
