The source of information for this page is L. Robert Kohl's Survival Kit for Overseas Living, fourth edition,
©2001. Used with permission of Intercultural Press, A Nicholas Brealey Company. All rights
reserved. Other use of this material is prohibited.
Culture Shock
Culture shock is the...pronounced reactions to the psychological disorientation most people experience
when they move for an extended period of time into a culture markedly different from their own.
Causes of Culture Shock
Culture shock comes from:
1. being cut off from the cultural cues and known patterns with which you are familiar - especially
the subtle, indirect ways you normally have of expressing feelings...
2. living and/or working over an extended period of time in a situation that is ambiguous
3. having your own values...brought into question, which yanks your moral rug out from under you
4. being continually put into a position in which you are expected to function with maximum skill
and speed but where the rules have not been adequately explained
Symptoms of Culture Shock
Overall Symptoms:
-anxiety
-homesickness
-helplessness
-boredom
-depression
-fatigue
-confusion
-self-doubt
-feelings of inadequacy
-unexplained fits of weeping
-paranoia
-physical ailments and psychosomatic illnesses
Withdrawal Symptoms:
-physical and/or psychological withdrawal
-spending excessive amounts of time reading
-need for excessive amounts of sleep
-only seeing other Americans
-avoiding contact with host nationals
-short attention span
-diminished productivity
-loss of ability to work or study effectively
-quitting and returning to your home country early
Aggressive symptoms:
-compulsive eating
-compulsive drinking
-exaggerated cleanliness
-irritability
-family tensions
-marital stress
-excessive chauvinism
-stereotyping
-hostility toward host nationals
-verbal aggressiveness
-physical aggressiveness
-deciding to stay but permanently hating the country and its people
Stages of Culture Shock
1. Initial euphoria
you come to the country with expectations that are too high and primarily focus on the similarities between America and your host culture
you come to the country with expectations that are too high and primarily focus on the similarities between America and your host culture
2. Irritability and hostility
your focus shifts from similarities to the differences between cultures; you blow small problems out of proportion; this is culture shock
your focus shifts from similarities to the differences between cultures; you blow small problems out of proportion; this is culture shock
3. Gradual adjustment
you eventually adjust to your adopted culture and the culture becomes more familiar and comfortable; and your sense of humor returns
you eventually adjust to your adopted culture and the culture becomes more familiar and comfortable; and your sense of humor returns
4. Adaptation and biculturalism
you become adept at living in a foreign culture and can function with ease and comfort in both this host country and America; you can even expect reverse culture shock upon returning to the U.S.
you become adept at living in a foreign culture and can function with ease and comfort in both this host country and America; you can even expect reverse culture shock upon returning to the U.S.
Responding to Culture Shock
-Realize that in fact practically everybody who goes overseas for a substantial period of time experiences
culture shock in some form and/or to some degree.
-Be ready for the lesson culture shock teaches....Culture shock stems from an in-depth encounter with another
culture in which you learn that there are different ways fo doing things that are neither wrong or inferior.
-Select one or two areas of interest and investigate them more thoroughly than other topics. I.e. sports.
-Begin...to look consciously for logical reasons behind everything in the host culture that seems strange, difficult,
confusing, or threatening.
-Trace every "strange" action you observe in your new culture to its underlying value or values.
-Make a list of all the positive things you can identify about your present situation. (Ignore the negative...).
-Avoid those Americans or other foreigners who are in a permanent state of culture shock.
-Don’t succumb to the temptation of disparaging the host culture. Resist making jokes and denigrating comments...
-Work at maintaining a healthy sense of humor. Especially be ready to laugh at yourself.
-Make friends with host nationals and try to develop a deeper, more intimate relationship with one or two of them.
-As you adjust to and function more comfortably within the value system of your host country, don’t worry that you
may lose your own values.
-Keep busy, keep active, and keep your mind occupied. Don’t sit around and feel sorry for yourself.
-During the deepest plunges into culture shock, take a trip, get away to a scenic spot or a nearby country.
-Even during the worst times...have faith that you will work your way through culture shock.
Important Skills
Important Skills in Adapting to Culture Shock:
(Asterisks denote the most important)
-sense of humor *
-ability to fail *
-low goal/task orientation *
-tolerance for ambiguity
-open-mindedness
-nonjudgmentalness
-empathy
-communicativeness
-flexibility; adaptability
-curiosity
-warmth in human relationships
-motivation
-self-reliance
-strong sense of self
-tolerance for differences
-perceptiveness
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