1. Culture Shock, Adaptation, and Re-entry
most common assumption people make when beginning to live in another country is called projective cognitive similarity:
the assumption that the people in the host country have a similar perception, judgement, thought pattern and reasoning.
people have expectations before they go
when people realise that other cultures are different from their own, culture shock may set in
trauma is triggered when people abroad realise that their familiar ways of coping do not function
causes of culture shock:
the loss of usual signs and signals
the collapse of normal interpersonal skills
a danger to personal unity – am I the same person???
People are surrounded by sounds and signals since birth, physical or social cues that provide order to social relationships.
In another culture, nonverbal messages do not carry the same meaning, and people begin to feel unsure.
Misunderstandings could result.
Well established ways of viewing the world no longer help in the new environment.
Six stages of culture shock:
Preliminary stage: plans and preparations taken before leaving. Often people feel excited.
Spectator stage: arrival in the host country. Most people are fascinated by the new. This honeymoon stage may last a few days or few months.
Participant stage: at the end of the honeymoon, people will have to start coping in the host country. Have to learn how to shop, go to work, on their own.
Shock stage: after starting to adjust, problems surface and are difficult to handle. Loneliness sets in, or the person may seek out only nationals and complain about the host country.
Adaptation stage: in-group relationships may be established with locals. Person feels a sense of belonging and acceptance.
Re-entry stage: when people return to their home country, they are often a different person than when they left. Life back home will have also changed. Thus,...