The majority of whites or blacks whose ancestors have been in the country over a a few hundred years are people who’s families may not be pure anything. There is no European country or culture for someone who is Irish/German/Native American/and Swedish whose family mixed up on this soil. There is no African country for someone of Nigerian/Angolan/Wamonoag/Irish and Dutch who’s communities were blended on this soil during slavery. Regardless of whether these types of people who call themselves whites and blacks get along or not, they are both hybrid mutts also known as Americans. They’ve created more than a few types of different music styles, have their own distinctive type of religious worship, their own cuisine even their own dialect of the English language known as American English. So don’t get it twisted, there are ethnic Americans whether you accept us or not.

Moving right along, I have noticed that people from so many different countries and cultures come in and either do one of three things. 1. They jump in the midst of ethnic hatred between the blacks and white of this soil and take sides, as opposed to minding their own damned business-Italians! Hispanics! Indians! Nigerians! Arabs! 2. The start strutting around like the ethnic snobs they are by declaring themselves better than Americans by saying things like, “Americans are lazy,” We do de yobs Americans won’t do!” “Americans have no culture but I’m Italian and we have a well established culture” :We Portuguese like quality”…grrrrr 3. Pick up a violin and start preaching about how they came here with nothing and made something of themselves and they see the “Blacks” The Native Americans” ..”The Americans” not taking advantage of opportunities.

You know what I say to you Chinese and Vietnamese people who follow anyone black American around in a store assuming that everyone steals when you’ve never been introduced to the entire multi-tiered communities in every state, F—You! You know what I have to say to you Nigerian and Trinidadian bastards from New England who rant about Blacks not taking advantage? Any immigrant comes over with the advantage of being an exotic other and given the benefit of the doubt, so shut up. Also, you’re coming in using programs that were established for the descendants of slaves while your ancestors probably sold them away! You know what I say to those blowhards like Rick Santorum who wish to cut certain benefits like the heating programs and probably have never set foot in places like Hazard county Kentucky where they NEED these programs, just because your cocky European dad was successful? F—-YOU!

You guys aren’t doing a darn thing for this country but increasing the racial and economic divide. Yes, slavery devastated a lot of people both black and white that you may never see because your too afraid to get to know us. You extend your state of culture shock by rejecting our cultures! What white person from the rural areas do you know to ever utter the words “trailer trash!?” For all you know that person could be descended from a great general who fought in the civil war, while your family was over there in Europe starving. You look down your noses at the people who rescued your behinds from Hitlers goons when they decided to burn your little Italian towns and shoot up your churches! Yet, you call them trailer trash!!!!!!!!???????

What gives you the right to point to any black American and call them a criminal just based on looks alone. How in the hell can you assume that any progress is due to someone giving them a handout??!! The man you just followed in the store- dude from China- happens to be a Veteran who served in Vietnam.  He only patronized your store in the first place because you had cheap products and he’s on disability for PTSD not welfare, pal!

Then you Arab jerks and your radical ideas and quest to come in and cover up our culture and replace it with yours. I can’t even carry a bible or wear a star of David in your countries. How the hell is it that you wish to change our religious holidays, or bury the protestant heritage embedded within American culture!!!??? How is it that you Somalis gladly came over here when your black A— were starving, and next thing you know, your sneaking your big foreheads back over and training for Jihad? Go to hell!

You immigrants who carelessly shoot off your mouths about Americans need to do some research and take off those colorized glasses! You don’t know anything about us. You want to take advantage of being in our country but you still want to wear the country of ancestor origin as if your ashamed of being being confused with us? If you’re that worried, then go back to Jamaica-Jamaicans! Go back to Italy-Italians!, Go back to Pakistan! But don’t even attempt to tell me to go back to Africa or Europe because remember my blood is a combination mixed on this soil and I belong here! F—-YOU!!!!!!

Unfortunately, at a certain point, the novelty wears off. Because we are creatures of habit, we crave the things that are familiar to us like familiar faces, food language, and sights. We may begin to complain about the way things are and why people behave the way they do. We may begin to start counting the days before returning home. Some may feel homesick, lonely, helpless, angry, frustrated or even depressed. There are those who experience physical symptoms- changes in eating habits and sleeping patterns, or even illnesses very common to people who came from tropical moving to four seasons countries and the opposite. At the most extreme, some may even want to abruptly leave. All these are symptoms of Culture Shock. 

However, as we adjust and learn how to navigate our new world, we begin the next phase of adjustment which is the recovery. Recovery and adjustment are the most important thing when one is living in another place. You know you have adjusted when you are more comfortable with your surroundings, start interacting with locals, develop a greater tolerance for the differences, and embrace the new culture. The movement from culture shock to recovery can last anywhere from one to six months. How long it takes one to adjust actually depends on what one does to help himself. Here are twelve great tips for the recovery phase. 

1) Read as much as you can about your country of destination even before you arrive there- its history, important people, events and customs. This will make it easier for you to socialize with locals and feel that you will be OK and safe in that new place. There are plenty of information floating around the Internet or even from books. 

2) It is OK to make friends with locals and ask questions. The tendency of us we tend to socialize with our fellow countrymen since we are more familiar with them. There’s nothing wrong with this but it is still best to make friends of the locals. The problem of not befriending the locals is that one loses cut on learning more about the new culture firsthand. Befriends locals and ask them questions so you can understand your new environment. 

3) Learn the local language. Trying to speak their language is always appreciated by locals. Learning their language is also a life saving in cases of emergency. 

4) Observe social rituals. Take note of how people great each other and the DO’s and DON’T’s of interactions. In Japan, I learned to bow at the counterparts. In the Middle East, men even kiss each others’ cheeks. In the US, I learned that shaking hands and greeting Hi and  how are you are the norms. Knowing the DO’s and DON’T’s can help you blend in and avoid offenses. 

5) Explore the vicinity. See as much of the country you are visiting as you can. Doing this will give you a greater appreciation of the country and somehow will make you optimistic of the unknowns. 

6)Talk to other expats. They would know the common problems of newcomers and how to cope. They can also give you tips on where to shop and where the churches are. They can also be a great support group. 

7) Keep busy. The antidote to loneliness is to do something or divert ones’ focus to other activities. Participate in community activities or join local organizations. Engage in volunteer work. Take up a hobby. Learn a new skill. The most important – don’t get bored or you’d really feel bad that you are away from home. 

Get some exercise. It is true that exercise releases endorphins that make one happy. So walk, jog, bike, take up a sport- keep your spirits uplifted and get healthy. 

9) Care for your soul. Prayer, mediation and silence are calming to the heart and nurturing to the soul. 

10) Write. Keeping a journal or writing a blog may help. It’s a way of documenting experiences. This can even make you feel excited because of the creative words that comes out from your thoughts while writing. 

11) Keep connections with home. The world is smaller thanks to technology. It’s important to maintain contact and get support from the people you love and know. Set regular dates for calls or chats so there is something to look forward to. 

12) Seek help. When you feel unable to cope- you should consider talking to a professional, a counselor, social worker or a church worker perhaps. It is important to remember that you are not alone and help is available. 

With these twelve tips, it will boost your feeling of security and will be OK as you go along with your journey to complete adaptation and road to happiness.

            This is a physical or emotional discomfort that one suffers when coming to live in a new environment. i.e. A European coming to Africa for the first time.

            According to Wikipedia culture shock is defined as “the difficulty people have adjusting to a new culture that differs markedly from their own.”

            While experiencing culture shock, one goes through a series of stages. Not everyone might go through all these stages chronologically or through all of them. Here are the main stages of culture shock;

1. Honeymoon period.

            This stage is also known as the initial euphoria stage. The individual is fascinated and exited by the host’s culture. He/she will have the following characteristics in this stage.

-          One will neglect the differences between his/her culture with those of the         host’s culture.

-          One would be curious to know the routine of the host’s culture.

-          One is fascinated by most of the things that the host culture do.

-          Exited to be in the new environment.

-          One will neglect the differences and he/she would be reinforcing the    similarities.

1. Culture shock.

            This stage is also known as the crisis period or frustration stage. In this stage one has the following characteristics;

-          One is confused.

-          One develops anxiety.

-          One starts to develop ethnocentrism (superiority of one’s own culture).

-          At this stage one starts confronting the differences between his/he own culture and those of the host’s culture.

            Here are some of the symptoms of culture shock.

-          Values that one considers good or bad are not the way they are in the new culture.

-          Dissatisfaction.

-          Social skills do not seem to work any longer.

-          Feeling of disorientation.

-          Sadness.

-          Melancholy.

-          Loneliness.

-          A sense that this will never go away.

-          Suffering from psychosomatic symptoms i.e. migraines, stomach aches, insomniac etc…

-          Developing stereotypes.

-          Lack of confidence.

-          Confusion.

-          Developing obsessions i.e. cleanliness, over eating, over-sleeping.

            Within the culture shock stage there are other sub-stages. These stages include;

1. Excitement or optimistic phase.

This stage is the same as the honeymoon stage. Where one is fascinated by the new culture.

1. Withdrawal or cultural problems.

In this stage one finds it difficult to relate with the members of the new culture hence he withdraws.

1. Adjustment and recovery.

In this stage one starts to associate with some members of the new culture.

1. Enthusiasm / adjustment.

By this stage one fully understands his routine; he is able to converse freely with the members of the new culture.

1. Initial adjustment.

            In this stage one starts getting used to the new environment. He/she will start experiencing fewer problems in terms of language, shopping, routine etc…

1. Mental isolation.

            Feelings of frustration, loneliness and loss of confidence set in.

Some people remain at this stage.

1. Acceptance.

              This stage is also known as the integration stage. During this stage;

- One has established a routine (school, work, business etc…).

- Accepted the new culture.

- He/she has become accustomed to the habits i.e. mode of eating and dressing.

- One is comfortable with friends.

It should be noted that;

Not all individuals will go through all of these stages mentioned above.

The stages have no fixed time of happening.

If the practical and administrative aspects are often well managed during an international assignment, the psychological aspect is sometimes overlooked. Adapting to the culture of the host country can be complicated and should be prepared …

If the practical and administrative aspects are often well managed during an international assignment, the psychological aspect is sometimes overlooked. Adapting to the culture of the host country can be complicated and should be prepared.

Cross-cultural adaptation usually takes place in three stages. The first time abroad is a discovery and are enjoyed. Then comes the culture shock that the differences in behavior and perspective are felt.This step can be complicated to live and lead by states of homesickness, depression, withdrawal into oneself. After a while comes the cultural reconciliation and acculturation: the differences are accepted and integrated personal benchmarks.

To best reduce the risk of discomfort during the culture shock, cultural adaptation and preparation is essential. 

The first thing to do is to document the most about the host country, this will get a first idea on the differences in lifestyles and benchmarks. Take evidence on the experiences of expatriation in the same country to help identify the difficulties of intercultural adaptation. Learning the language is also something crucial for successful adaptation.

If you have the opportunity to follow an intercultural training course, enter it. This is sometimes offered by companies expatrient many of their employees. Training programs focus on the differences between cultures and benchmarks focus on cross-cultural conflicts and how they can be overcome.

A reconnaissance trip of the host country is also a great way to get in touch with his culture before expatriation.

Once there your openness and initiative will be put to work to live the best culture shock.Understanding and acceptance of differences and the construction of new benchmarks incorporating such differences are the key to successful adaptation.

To understand the local customs try to reach out to others to speak the language as often as possible.Choose social activities rather than individual. Try to experience the rhythm of other people to do the same things at the same times. Contact the local associations.

There are significant expatriate communities in all major cities worldwide. This will allow you to share your experience with people having the same reference as you. However, do not you shut up and stay in communalism in contact with Aboriginal people.

Enjoy your work to make contact with the local population. If you have the opportunity, take advantage of support services offered by your employer.

If your family accompanies you, live whole experience of expatriation. Often spouses or children may feel isolated, encourage them to be actors in their adaptation. Make the most of their time together to soak up local habits. Do not close yourself.

Culture shock is normal for expatriates, but this is often a step forward with pleasure to enjoy the adventure of expatriation. After a successful intercultural adaptation, we must know that the return to the country of origin may also be complicated. Habits and cultural landmarks have changed and we must re-acclimate to the environment that we had forgotten. It’s the reverse culture shock! But this will be the topic for another article.

Expatriation good!

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In the past, people used to describe their traveling as ‘migration’ and the countries they would travel to, they would call ‘worlds’. I believe that better prepared the travelers and I’m sure they really did expect a completely new world, unlike our generation who has grown up in the era of globalization. We assume that the only difference between where we live and other countries is the language and environment, and this is even more so with Americans. Of course, this does not apply to everyone and I am only speaking out of my own opinion and experience. My story is just one of many. 

I lived all my life in the U.S., more specifically south Florida. In my junior year of high school my parents, who are both Syrian, told me that we would be moving to Syria. My father had received a job offer, and my parents had been dying to move back and be closer to their families. My dad was to try it out and make arrangements for us to join him the following year when I would have graduated from high school. And so for the next year, I tried to prepare myself for the move… to no avail. 

We used to visit Damascus in the summer every other year, and I actually lived here for about 8 months when I was in 6th grade. I had expectations, and I thought I knew the country, but I was wrong. 

The simple things were the hardest at first. Anywhere we went I always got the same question “Where do you like better Syria or America?” I couldn’t answer the question then and I still can’t answer it now. I had to learn the hard way that you should never smile at anyone in the street, whether it’s a young man, or an old woman. The first price you are told when shopping is usually about four times what you should actually pay. Fries and Scrambles eggs can be found in Hamburgers. The day starts earliest at 10 am and lasts until about 3 am. And most importantly, once people know that you are American they greet you with a kind, and warm “Habby Birsday!”

These were all the fun facts I learned prior to starting university and to be completely honest, some of those things were entertaining, and surprising more than frustrating. Smoking is an issue that truly came as a shock to me. It is looked down upon in the states, but people still do smoke there. What shocked me here were the 16 year olds smokers, anyone being able to buy cigarettes, and the cost of them. Even alcohol is sold here like its nothing, and pharmacies don’t even need to see a prescription for antidepressants. 

My first serious confrontation was with some friends of the family who told me that it was ‘haram’ or wrong religiously for me to live in America because it is a country of non-Muslims. This lady went on for about an hour telling me that I’ve been committing a terrible sin for the past 18 years, while puffing on her cigarette. I’m not one to judge, but aside from being uneducated, I felt like she was the impersonation of hypocrisy, and I learned that people like her made up some of the elite of Syrian society. 

When I started going to school here, I learned that there was no such thing as a student-teacher relationship. Many of the professors at the university believe that they are god’s gift to mankind, and so they treat the students like trash. The students aren’t much better. Since most of them are well off, they feel like they own the world, including the professor standing in front of the class. To say that they are disrespectful would be an understatement. 

The relationships between students aren’t much better. Everyone looks out for their own benefit and not a lot else. No one seems to really care, they just take advantage of each other, but they are content. They rarely complain about it. It’s just an ‘I scratch your back, you scratch mine’ kind of society. The romantic relationships are another story, a very interesting one actually. First of all, they are exaggerated and publicized through rumors, and then after the break up, the girl’s reputation is dragged in dirt, and thrown in the garbage.

Guys in Syria were the most interesting to me. They are hopeless romantics who are overconfident because their mothers told them that they are handsome. I had a guy attempt to profess his love to me by giving me a rock with my name on it. Another picked up my email address from somewhere and sent me unbelievable emails telling me about our (non-existent) relationship. He told me I was hurting him by sitting next to another guy in class, and he told his mom and she wasn’t too happy with me either. 

Again, I want to say that this doesn’t apply to everyone. Although these were negative aspects about Syria, I can’t even begin to write about the positive things that came out of this move. There is always a good side, and a bad side to everything. You live and you learn. 

Things were different since she started college. Independent? Not exactly. But she loves to fly solo. It’s just that she respect her parents and she doesn’t want to break even a single thing. A girl from a province decided to study outside her comfort zone. New zone, new language, new culture and new people. Will she be able to survive?

As her eyes widen sighting the ‘new’ city with her father, the first words that she uttered were “”Oh god! It’s different. Not exactly what I expected but highly anticipated. Will I be able to survive?”

Those words of hers threatened even herself. But second thought knocks. “But I have dreams. Dreams to inspire other people. Dreams to help my family. Dreams to give God glory. I must not be discouraged by what I see right now.” She’s right, she dragged herself all the way down to the ‘city’ for those ‘dreams’.

In her province, her life was almost perfect. Not rich but very much supported. An honor student and one of the best. Appreciated and respected by the rest. Her world is very simple. Not a socialite, and you may be surprised with delight. She never knew that another world exists. A world where joy can be counted by the fingers of her hands, but happiness is all around. She can hear laughs as well as cries. The sound of hidden mournings is not so nice. But her step, a step in the unknown world for her has just begun. Never had an idea nor a prediction of what will happen. But one thing is for sure, change always knocks at everyones door, once you opened it, you can never go back, all you can do is to look back to the place where she grew up.

…To be continued.

Same situation? Not surprising. A lot of my friends experienced this same thing too. And most of them, asked the same questions too. Honestly, there are times that they want to go back and want to quit everything that they started. But at the end of the day, courage takes over but they need to visit as a refresher.

They are driven by one thing ‘Dreams’. But as you reach for this, you can’t get rid of culture shocks, especially when you chose to enter a world that’s different from yours. Kidshealth.org explained culture shock as this:

“Culture shock isn’t a clinical term or medical condition. It’s simply a common way to describe the confusing and nervous feelings a person may have after leaving a familiar culture to live in a new and different culture. When you move to a new place, you’re bound to face a lot of changes. That can be exciting and stimulating, but it can also be overwhelming. You may feel sad, anxious, frustrated, and want to go home.”

That was a perfect explanation of the term. But I don’t want to stick to ‘culture shock’ itself. I want to expound the truth of ‘difference’. You heard it right, there is no such thing as ‘culture shock’ if there is no such things as ‘different’.

We live in the same planet which is called ‘earth’ but we were born from different islands, and of course, different cultures.

It so hard to be with other people whom you don’t know and you barely know the language. I have proven once that we differ not just in ‘traditions’, ‘rituals’ or ‘beliefs’. But also in profession. In what way? Many ways. But one thing that is notable is the ‘language’. I’m not a businessman but I’ve met a few. The way they talked and deliver words differ from our language in the media industry. But wait, there’s more… Those who are working in the upper society differs also when it comes to those people who works in the lower society. I’ve been struck when I met people in which I call “TRUE BLUE RK’s”. RK’s are actually Rich Kids (My vocabulary of acronyms). It was like, they were not even bothered about buying things here and there. They can have everything that they want. Which is actually in my status right now, not possible. They are very different. They act differently. The first time I met one of them, I’m really surprised by the way they do their stuff. I felt stupid at the time but just like the character in the story. It’s reality, acceptance is the best way to move on. But still holding to the dream is a better idea.

Image via Wikipedia

One of the more subtle traps for a Brit working in the USA, and especially California, is a tendency to think that fellow English speakers are a lot less foreign than, say, German or French speakers. To some extent the East coast was a tougher, more exciting and dynamic extension of the society I had left behind, a sort of Anglo United States of Europe. The real America emerges as you travel West.

It’s a land of contradictions that I don’t fully understand. The language is the same but different. When a Californian tells you that somewhere is five minutes away, he means five minutes in a fast car on the freeway. Any journey of more than 50 yards requires an auto or cab, which runs on gas and has a hood and a trunk. Anyone who walks for pleasure is considered eccentric at least. Californians are terrified at the sight of a speck of dirt, but guns, knives, and even the earth moving are shrugged of with unconcern.

These are my own personal views, and I make no guarantees as to the experiences of others. It occurs to me that I have been influenced by my wife, who was born in Santa Monica, and is a Hollywood girl to boot. I’ve said a lot less about working conditions in LA than I intended, but in my case at least, the sunshine and excitement of California came to mean more to me than money or success, the journey became more important than the destination. I suppose I’m a little bit of a Californian myself now.

Working in an overseas country such as US is very attractive that you will be challenged continually by different experiences. Sometimes it is good and sometimes it will be less than memorable. Cultural shock happens for many reasons. No matter which country you go, things will never be done in the same way as they are in your country. This is a fact, so don’t fight it.

Our personal identity is represented by the society or community that we live in. Your personal identity can be threatened if your community is replaced by foreign people, lifestyles and landscapes. People give feedback with different degrees of confusion and anxiety. This is what we refer as Culture Shock.

In your own community, people communicate and interact according to quite accurate social rules. When you meet new people, you will smile, make eye contact and also shaking their hands. You will also use your handkerchief or tissue when you blow your nose. These are acceptable behaving ways that you have learnt since you are a kid. And if these rules are broken, you are all aware of their consequences.

In a new foreign country and city, there are a lot of laws and regulations that you do not know and at the same time you are aware that people around you know the rules. You will never know of it if others are following their own rules, whether you are broking or violating any rules and if so, what the consequences would be and how to compensate if required.

You of course do not know what to expect from other people and they too, expect unknown things of you. One thing to remember, learn appropriate behaviour from local people. You may learn by asking questions as well as experts, and observing what locals are doing. You may feel hard at first but everything will go fine gradually and you will gain more confidence. 

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From the airport we hop a cab (which would never meet Australia’s road worthiness certification) to our accommodation at one of the local hotels. Now I am not talking the Sofitel or the Rotana here – this was a really basic motel style resort that you would find in one of the tourist villages down a dirt track on the coast of Australia. Probably built in the 50’s, refurbished in the 70’s and left to cope with the tropical elements since then. The manager had stayed up till 1.30am to greet us and the staff were all lined up and waiting to take us to our rooms. They were curious about us and very interested in welcoming us and making us feel right at home. We had our first introduction to the local language, Bislama, a sort of pidgin English/French and local language mixture.

The people of Vanuatu were voted the happiest people on Earth the year we arrived there and I have to say they were just lovely – welcoming, smiling, gracious and understated, shy people. After escorting us to our rooms they disappeared into the night and we settled to sleep. Ah, but sleeping was not part of the plan in Vila that night. You see the French had been playing the Italians in the final of the World Cup and the town had taken sides. The Francophone community naturally aligning with France and everyone else in town including Australians, Americans, Germans and who knows else, were backing anyone to beat the French. When the Italians beat the French 5-3 the town exploded and there were convoys of young men driving around town hooting their horns and loudly celebrating the defeat of the French, who it appears are becoming less and less popular in the town!

I guess the youths drank themselves into oblivion by about 3 am and we slept soundly till 7.30. We were to be picked up at 9 am for a tour of the town and surroundings. The day progressed with Visa formalities and meeting and greeting. In fact the days of that first week all melted into sleep and wakefulness and busyness. We had to find accommodation, get utilities connected, have visas approved and residency status granted – and we started on Bislama lessons! There were very few wakeful moments for reflection and feeling homesick and every moment was taken up with new interesting and exciting things to do, see and experience.

And then we had to start our work. Ron went off to Malapoa College, Vanuatu’s premier high school, to mentor the Principal and take over the Maths faculty. I arrived on the steps of the office of Youth Challenge Vanuatu to provide support to their new Director and review the agency’s policy, procedures and management practices, institute a staff training program and mentor the project manager! Both jobs were huge – far bigger than we had imagined. And that story is for the next article!

It takes some time to settle into a new environment and we had been warned about culture shock. In the first few weeks you are trying so hard to get to know the people and the places; learn where to get your supplies and meet your friends (the watering holes); settle into strange accommodation; learn about what is a realistic expectation of yourself and others, that you actually spend little time focusing on the differences and more trying to make things have a certain sameness about home so as to feel comfortable. WOW! Doesn’t that set you up for a great fall! We had been told there would be a cycle of emotional adjustment that included large periods of not feeling useful, comfortable and (in fact) verging on depression.  That is what culture shock is about – adjusting to the new environment and not having expectations that this new environment will have anything in it that is familiar. We had to learn to go with the flow, and that flow was so much slower, more bureaucratic, more time spent in discussion, much lower expectations and great leaps in small outcomes.

If there is one thing a new volunteer needs to take to their placement in an international setting it is practical information on culture shock. It is not healthy to have a cavalier approach and ignore just how important this is. Of course the other tools are: a sense of humour; a willingness to listen; an acceptance that the local ways will need to be worked alongside, not challenged too much. Having said that be willing to learn a new language, be authentic and maintain a balanced approach to looking after yourself and your friends.

And in the next episode you will hear how a 53 year old woman won the hearts of teenagers and worked alongside them to deliver great projects across the island communities and within the town of Port Vila. She is now an honorary grandmother to 2 Ni-Vanuatu babies and has lifelong friends in the native population of the islands.

The term of culture shock was coined by the anthropologist Oberg (Furnham, 1988, Ward, et al., 1998, Kim, 2001, Marx, 2001)1. It more often than not carries with it a negative feeling. Oberg (1960, cited in Kim, 1988) defines culture shock as the anxiety that results from losing all of familiar signs and symbols of social interaction. Furnham and Bochner (1986) state that the experience of a new culture is potentially confusing and disorienting. Bock (1970) contends that direct exposure to an alien cultural environment usually produces a disturbing feeling of disorientation and helplessness.

The negative feelings generated by culture shock come in different forms. Oberg (1960, cited in Max, 2001) describes six types of negative feelings incurred as a result of culture shock. They are strain caused by the effort to adapt; sense of loss and feelings of deprivation in relation to friends, status, profession and possession; feeling rejected by or rejecting members of the new culture; confusion in role, values and self-identity; anxiety and even disgust/anger about ‘foreign practices’; and the feeling of helplessness, not being able to cope with the new environment. Surfacing on these feelings are an array of symptoms experienced by sojourners, for example, excessive concern over drinking water, food, dishes, fits of anger over delays and other minor frustrations, excessive fear of being cheated, robbed or injured (Oberg, 1960, cited in Furnham & Bochner, 1986).  May (1970) found that culture shocked people lack of self confidence, distrust of others and mild psychosomatic complaints. Gunn (1979, cited in Furnham, 1988) identified a higher incidence of digestive, dermatological, and sexual problems in overseas students. 

Culture shock is triggered principally by sojourners’ experience of losing all of familiar signs and symbols of social interaction in a new cultural environment (Oberg, 1960, cited in Kim, 1988). However, the degree of shock varies from people to people due to a variety of reasons including the degree of linguistics dissimilarity, political-economical and social dissimilarity, and general cultural dissimilarities in customs, religious beliefs, nutritional habits, etc. (Furnham & Bochner, 1986).  For instance, research shows that the degree of difficulty experienced by sojouners is directly related to cultural distance between their own culture and host culture (Furnham & Bochner, 1986). An increase in the similarity between the host and native culture will increase sojourners’ understanding of the host culture and reduce their stress in the new environment (Gudykunst & Hammer, 1988). The concept of cultural distance is actually consistent with the concept of culture novelty.  According to Tung (1981), culture novelty is a contributor to culture shock. Culture novelty deals with the notion that some cultures are more closed aligned with other cultures in their value systems, behavioural norms, and so on. High culture novelty will increase the difficulty for sojourners to adjust while low culture novelty will help decrease the stress confronting them.
 
Furnham (1988) shows that an alien culture shocks business people less than students or other sojourners. There are several reasons for it. First, business people stay in a foreign country for a short period of time. Second, business people are older in age and more mature. Third, their social interaction both inside and outside organizations tend to be equal for business people than they are for students and this type of peer group interaction works favourably for their adjustment. 

To overcome culture shock, sojourners move through several stages. Oberg maintains that sojourners go through four phases on the way to final adaptation, including the honeymoon phase, the culture shock phase, the recovery phrase and the adjustment phase (Marx, 2001). The honeymoon phase is primarily characterised by exciting, positive and stimulating impression of all encounters. Then comes the second phase where culture shock comes into play.  This stage generally involves unease and discomfort with the new situation. The third phase is recovery, reflecting a compromise between exaggerated expectations and reality. The final phase is adjustment where people realise the limitations of their skills and resort to new avenues to come grips with the new and learn to be more flexible. Such a cross-cultural adaptation model is called a U-curve that has taken a central position in theory and research on transition and adjustment for over 30 years (Ward, et al., 1998).

However, it is challenged by Marx (2001) who thinks this linear picture of cross-culture adaptation is largely unrealistic in real life situations. He therefore develops it into a model that comprises a dynamic and repetitive cycle, encompassing the honeymoon phase – culture shock – recovery – culture shock – recovery – culture shock – breaking through. It is evident that the restructured model stresses that culture shock is not a one-off event and sojourners are very likely to experience several culture shocks before they can tide them over. 

Though this clarification sounds more reasonable, it is far from enough to uncover the whole spectrum of shock engendered by cross-cultural interactions. For example, Ward, et al. (1998) contend that their longitudinal research based on a group of Japanese students does not find the honeymoon stage of entry to a new country. What characterises entry to a foreign milieu is the psychological stress instead. Church (1982, cited in Furnham and Bochner, 1986) also comments that support for U-curve hypothesis is inconclusive and overgeneralised as some sojourners are unhappy, depressed and anxious right from the outset. It should therefore be borne in mind that no universal pattern to explain culture shock adaptation has been developed yet so far.

In terms of adaptation both psychologically and sociologically to a new cultural context, research shows that sojourners who accommodate well share such fundamental characteristics as close interactions with host culture people (Furnham & Bochner, 1998, Ward, et al., 1998), low culture distance (Furnham & Bochner, 1986, Tung, 1981), moving from a closed system to an open system (Furnham & Bochner, 1986),  knowledge of the host language (Kim, 1988, 2001), willingness to adapt (Kim, 2001), use of host communication channels (Shah, 1991), and the like. These characteristics are useful in easing culture shock and facilitating sojourners in their adjustment to the new environment. Ostensibly, the opposite side of these characteristics will generally impede sojourners’ adaptation process and hence increase the severity of culture shock. For example, lack of interaction with host nationals is associated with high levels of anxiety (Gudykunst & Hammer, 1988).

It is worth special note here that the spouse also plays an important part in the impact on a sojourner’s adjustment to a new culture. Research exhibits that if the spouse is unable to adjust to a new cultural environment, he or she can cause sojourn managers to fail (Mendenhall, Punnett & Ricks, 1995). Tung (1981) also provides a similar finding, showing that topping the list of important reasons for sojourners’ failure to function effectively in an overseas context is the inability of their spouses to adjust to a different physical or cultural environment. These research results can function as a valuable guideline for cross-cultural training program design.
 
Though culture shock is generally interpreted in a negative way, as Bock (1970) claims that culture shock is always discontenting and often unpleasant. In effect, it has an array of advantages. It can be seen as a transitional experience which is important for self development and personal growth in a new environment (Alder, 1975, cited in Furnham, 1988). Once it is harnessed, it can produce many beneficial results including, for example, an increased functional fitness in cognitive, affective and behavioural capacity to communicate competently in the host environment, enjoyment of psychological well-being by removing the culture-shocked symptoms,  increased internal integration and establishment of intercultural identity which serves as a core attribute capable of reconciling seemingly contradictory characteristics of peoples and events and transforming them into complementary, interacting parts of an integral whole (Kim, 1988). 

Cultural shock management has important implications for firms involving in cross-cultural interactions. First, cultural shock brings about negative feelings to many sojourners on their way to final adaptation. Inappropriate addressing of this issue may lead to sojourners’ failure in their overseas assignment, hence doing harm to the interest of the firm. Second, culture shock can be taken as a transitional process which offers sojourners the chances of development and self realisation. Managing it properly will therefore be helpful to highlight its favourable side and motivate sojourners in their international assignment. Third, an ultimate break-through of culture shock will help elevate sojourners’ well-being in many ways, such as increased functional fitness and psychological health. The overall quality improvement of sojourners will contribute favourably to the firm value. Finally, managing culture shock should also take into account the spouses of sojourners as their adaptation has an impact on sojourners’ overseas performance. 

There are a variety of avenues to manage culture shock, one of which is cross-culture training. As Mendenhall, Punnett and Ricks (1995) state, those who do not receive cross-cultural training are not as effective overseas as those who do, all others things being held equal.

In compliance with Gudykunst, Guzley and Hammer (1996), training should concentrate on two central issues: training approaches and training content. The training approaches can be didactic or experiential. The didactic approach generally focuses on similarities and differences between cultures while the experiential approach underscores situations sojourners will face in the new culture. The content includes culture-specific training and culture-general training. Culture specific training targets the elements which are specific to a particular culture whereas culture-general training helps sojourners to understand culture’s influence on behaviour through topics of culture awareness and sensitivity. 

Culture shock proof training should also take other things into consideration such as the degree of interaction of sojourners in the new environment. As Tung (1981) states, cross-cultural training is dependent on two core criteria: degree of interaction and culture novelty. If degree of interaction and culture novelty with host culture are both low, training can concentrate on task and job related issues, but if both of them are high, training should place more emphasis on cultural issues and cross-cultural skill development. The tailored training program can not only serve its purpose of facilitating sojourners’ overseas assignment, but also help to manage training cost effectively.
 
In conclusion, culture shock is an issue confronting all firms that involve in cross-cultural interactions. Though associated more with negative feelings, it will turn out to be beneficial to both sojourners and their firms if properly managed. It therefore merits a strategic attention in sustained business development blueprint. 

 
Note:

1. Most researchers (Furnham, 1988, Ward, et al., 1998, Kim, 2001, Marx, 2001) state that the term of culture shock was coined by Oberg (1960), but Milton (1997) claims that it was done by Oberg (1954).

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