Culture shock

Culture shock, 'transition shock', or 'the experience of foreignness' (Marx) are the reactions to living in a new culture. 'Shock' is perhaps the

wrong word, because the process can also be gradual. The symptoms of culture shock can include:

- strain

- sense of loss

- feeling rejected

- confusion

- anxiety

- helplessness

- obsession with hygiene. Physical symptoms can include:

- headaches

- sleeplessness

- overeating

- desire for comfort foods (for example, chocolate)

- excessive consumption of alcohol

- stomach pains.

Various phases of culture shock:

To start with, everything is new and exciting; this is the 'honeymoon period'. Then, after a period of negative feelings, comes recovery. This can happen over a period of 3-6 months or longer, depending on the indi-vidual's personality and cultural distance. This cycle is repeated, and hopefully overcome, in the 'breaking through' phase.

Reverse culture shock, or 're-entry' shock, can be experienced on re-turning to your original culture. As Michael Paige pointed out, 'Culture shock is the expected confrontation with the unfamiliar. Re-entry shock is

the unexpected confrontation with the familiar.' This can be more difficult than, say, the culture shock of going abroad. After the positive feelings of being back can come a feeling of alienation, connected with the realiza-tion that things have changed since you departed. There follows a period of adjustment, and of ‘breaking through'.

How far you experience culture shock will depend on a number of factors, including your personality, how different the culture is from your own, the social support you receive, and the purpose of your stay.

Дата добавления: 2015-08-13