A Report on Culture Shock, Its Causes and Treatments

Abstract

Culture shock becomes a widespreadly common phenomenon which affects negatively not only international students but also foreign workers over the world during the present time. This paper, based on secondary research, discusses about what culture shock is. In particular, three aspects are mentioned, including the definition of culture shock, its causes and some possible solutions to prevent as well as treat the person suffering from culture shock

Introduction

These days, immigrating to a new country for economic reason or tourism becomes easier and more widespread. Therefore, culture shock is a major phenomenon around the world. As defined by Matthew Maclachlan (2015), “Culture shock is a natural state of psychological and physical disorientation that can occur upon encountering a new environment and culture”. Loss of social support networks, independence, and the ability to communicate combined with the differences and challenges of entering a new culture are all factors that contribute to feelings of culture shock. This paper, based on secondary research, discusses the reality, causes and suggests some solutions with the purpose to prevent as well as cure immigrants from the culture shock.

Background Knowledge about the Culture Shock

The 2000 statistics based from US Census shows that every year, the largest groups of immigrants in the last ten years have been from: Mexico (nearly 2 million- 25%); the Caribbean (11% - 836,200); China/ Hong Kong/ Taiwan (6.6%- 501,000); South America (5.8% - 443,000); Philippine (5.7%- 432,100) etc. Almost psychologists and anthropologists agree that nearly most of immigrants suffer from culture shock which includes many physical symptoms such as : headache, lethargy, insomnia, loss of appetite, digestive irregularities or psychological symptoms such as irritability, anger over minor frustrations, confusion about morals and values, feeling moody, isolated and insecure. It happens through 4 different stages. When a person comes into a foreign country, at first he will find everything interesting and attractive. However, after that, he will have to encounter numerous challenges in various aspects of studying and daily life. All his predictions and plans will be changed and stress will be resulted from difficulties such as homesickness, lonely feelings, overwhelming, weather allergies and so on. This stage is called “negotiation”.

After overcoming the second stage, this one will have to get accustomed to the new environment and develop his routines. Everything will be in the order, and he will learn the way how to face difficulties and solve them in a strong and confident way. He will also know how to enjoy life and encourage himself to keep everything going. This is the final stage illustrating the obvious changes in his mind, lifestyle…

Possible Causes of Culture Shock

Culture shock is caused by numerous causes analyzed and written by Miller and International business research ISSN including major elements such as language (64%); immigration policies (61%); mentality (mental attitude) (60%); education system (58%); interpersonal communication (body language, facial expression) (58%); food (57%) and the others. Nevertheless, it also depends on each individual from different regions and his ability of integrating, communicating, time managing and so on. For example, the ISSN illustrates that language is the major element causing culture shock for the South East Asian and East European students while most of the African and West European students have to struggle with interpersonal communication as well as politics and mentality. The culture shock also appears due to the differences in age. In fact, the younger have to suffer from it much more than the older because they do hardly experience enough to overcome this phenomenon in a quick way. And the difference in gender is a less significant reason causing culture shock.

Agreeing with this argument, world-renowned anthropologist Oberg spoke about the feelings and reactions of the people who study and work abroad that despite their ability of communicating and integrating, a series of challenges will put you under a heavy pressure which brings you to the feelings of tense, anxiety or even depression.

The insights in Myron Loss’ study (1983) are similar with the given ideas when he brought out the causes leading foreign students and workers to culture shock. According to the writer, everyone when coming to a new country have to face the changes in language, culture, daily routines, relationships and they may feel loss of understanding as well as emotional and evaluative disorientation. In more general way, culture shock mainly comes from mis-interpretation of cultural values, beliefs, behaviors and norms of the new society. People ineffectively use their own cultures as the standard for interpreting, judging, and behaving in the new culture. For example, collectivist societies (e.g Mexico, Philippines) tend to place greater value on behaviors promoting in-group independence and in-group goals. By contrast, individualist societies (e.g. United States, Great Britain) are likely to endorse behaviors related to independence from the in-group and to individual goals. Culture shock also occurs because individuals do not know the systems of rewards and punishment associated with the verbal and non verbal behaviors in the host culture or because they cannot use their own cultural references to convey and validate central aspects of their identity in new culture.

How to cure the Culture Shock?

Culture shock is really widespread phenomenon that every immigrant for any reasons has to suffer from. Numerous measures are discovered by famous psychologists not only to treat but also to prevent. Schmitt- a traveler and a psychological researcher advices that in order to overcome culture shock you should learn as much about your host country as possible like gaining as much information as possible through internet, travel forums, guidebooks, news reports or novels and preparing well before moving abroad. You should also talk to people who have been there or better yet are from there. Specifically, it is necessary for you to widen your communicative network for advice and supports as well as get to know as much as you can about what’s considered polite or rude. For example, do you know it’s rude to step over someone’s bag in Madagascar?

Sydney University research production (July 2011) give information about some strategies to promote a “cultural adventure”. Firstly, it is advisable to keep everything in positive perspective and give yourself a motivation for pushing through the potential and challenging obstacles. You must always remind yourself that it is normal to feel stressed and exhausted, homesick or even overwhelmed. Secondly, engaging with the challenges arising and getting to know more about your new surroundings are really necessary because the more you know and the more familiar you are with your new environment, the more comfortable you will feel. Thirdly, in order to well integrate to new environment, you had better to take time to engage in exercise and other enjoyable activities (hobbies, sports, outings) as well as eat healthily and sleep well. Furthermore, thinking about the future, working out your personal goals and making a clear plan to achieve them is a way to motivate yourself.

Amanda in the article “get a grip the secrets of coping with culture shock” writes that culture shock is a common phenomenon that no one is immune. However, the stages of culture shock are entirely surmountable by many ways coming from your inside and outside. You have to accept how you feel and not hesitate pushing yourself getting out of your comfort zone to broaden your insights. You also do not need to hide the fact that there is shortage of sunshine and rainbows; this will only make you feel more isolated. Instead, find someone to confide in. Talk about your feelings with a new friend abroad, your host family, anyone that you can. And you will be better at integrating. Moreover, keeping in touch with your family, old friends and being social, and traveling are some other efficient way for you to feel more better and stronger.

Conclusion

As it has been seen along this research, culture shock is a process that every foreign student participating in an experience outside his or her cultural environment of origin will suffer to some extent. The aim of this research is give you the background knowledge about the culture shock, how it is caused so that everyone before encountering a new culture can well prepare himself to overcome the culture shock in a positive way.

References

1. https://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Culture-Shock-in-a-Foreign-Country
2. https://www.gooverseas.com/blog/how-to-deal-with-culture-shock-while-studying-abroad https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock
3. https://www.demos.co.uk/files/Culture_shock_-_web.pdf
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5. https://sydney.edu.au/content/dam/students/documents/learn-to-adjust-to-a-new-culture.pdf
6. http://www.expatcapetown.com/what-is-culture-shock.html
7. http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ibr/article/view/1013/0
8. http://www.uq.edu.au/student-services/sites/uq.edu.au.student-services/files/imported/cultureshock.pdf
9. https://medium.com/global-perspectives/the-4-stages-of-culture-shock-a79957726164
10. https://www.grin.com/document/108360
11. https://www.goabroad.com/articles/get-a-grip-the-secrets-of-coping-with-culture-shock