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| Everyone, when first stationed in a
foreign country, experiences culture shock to some
degree.
Culture shock is a form of mental
illness,
and the "victim" usually
does not recognize it! |
They may be irritable - depressed
- everything seems to go wrong - they become increasingly
frustrated
about the “shortcomings” of the country
and rarely realizes that the
problem lies within themselves.
Culture shock is caused in part by (a) communication
problems and (b) feelings of inadequacy. |
| a. |
Culture shock is precipitated when one loses his
familiar communication signals and symbols such
as: |
| |
- when to shake hands, and what
to say when meeting people,
- when and how to give tips,
- making purchases,
- when to take statements seriously and when not.
|
| b. |
Volunteers
go to a foreign country believing they have something
to contribute – but then
discover that the time is too short - the pace
of the country seems slow – colleagues
seem uninterested – budgets are held up – necessary
materials are delayed. They realize they
can’t accomplish all they had planned - and
their self-esteem and self worth is threatened. |
The four stages of Culture Shock
Most of us go through four stages of a good, stiff
attack of the illness:
|
| Stage 1 |
|
We may feel positively euphoric
at first. Probably the accommodation is adequate,
the tourist sights are intriguing; the local people
are courteous and helpful; we think
a wonderful experience lies ahead. This is the Honeymoon
phase.
|
| Stage 2 |
|
Then, wham! Everything different is a problem.
Misunderstandings seem frequent. The gratitude we
expected for our help seems lacking. Perhaps the
people aren’t friendly after all. Health problems
may develop. Business methods are different. Our
job satisfaction level is low. We feel like giving
up
and going home.
|
| Stage 3 |
|
We begin to understand some of the behaviors
of the people, and perhaps enough of the language
so that our isolation is not complete. Some of the
strange ways begin to make sense. Little by little
the problems of living are worked out. The situation
does not seem hopeless after all. Efforts to make
friends begin to pay off. We begin to laugh again.
We are on the road to recovery.
|
| Stage 4 |
|
We learn to accept the customs of the
country. We may not be enthusiastic about all of
them, but we don’t chafe. There may be strains
in our working relationships, but the basic anxieties
are gone. We gain some sense of satisfaction about
our work. Sometimes we realize that we are getting
a kick out of
the experience. We feel comfortable again.
We have made some good friends, and will miss them
when we leave.
|
The difficulties that lead to Culture
Shock are very real.
How long does it last? Resilient people are over
it in three months. Not infrequently it goes on for
a year. Few people, when experiencing it the first
time, are recovered in less than six months. The
severity of culture shock depends upon several factors: |
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your personality,
the extent of the differences between the cultures, and
the way you deal with new situations.
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Does a case of culture shock immunize
one against future attacks? NO
Future cases may be lighter, but different experiences
can produce it time after time.
|
Culture
shock – there
is no immunization that will prevent it.
But
knowing that it exists –
that an overseas assignment is apt to bring it
on –
that it is not permanent –
helps to reduce the severity of the attack.
The person who expects culture shock
weathers the ailment much more easily than the
one who doesn’t know he is ill.
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Practical tips for surviving culture
shock
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