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Culture Shock It’s Your World. Get Acquainted. glimpse study abroad acclimation guides SAMPLE Editors Hilary Costa Kerala Goodkin Design Nicholas Fitzhugh PHOTO by Daphne Hollinger PHOTO culture SHOCK CULTURE SHOCK faux pas! hough all the clichés associated with the study abroad experience usually end up being true—“enriching,” he doors in my host family’s apart- “exhilarating,” even “life-changing”—the experience ment have to be closed very gently can also be a difficult one, jarring you from the life- Tor they will rattle the doorframes. Tstyle and norms to which you are accustomed. Of course, culture I constantly forgot this, and one night, shock manifests itself differently in different people, but research I shut the door to my room a little has detected general patterns of emotional highs and lows expe- too hard. I started changing into my rienced by international travelers. These phases vary in duration pajamas, and when I had just gotten completely undressed, my host mom and severity, and are not necessarily linear. walked right in and proceeded to give me a lesson on the finer points of door EUPHORIA – The first few hours, days or weeks abroad are often charac- * closing. I just stood there, totally naked terized by the excitement of sensory overload. Both adrenaline and expec- and absolutely shocked. Nakedness just tations are running high, and everything seems new and intriguing. isn’t such a big deal in Spain, I guess. IRRITABILITY AND HOSTILITY – Once the initial “honeymoon” phase * Jacqui Goldman subsides, dissonances between native and host cultures begin to seem Studied in Spain more pronounced, and a sense of alienation can set in. Curiosity and en- thusiasm about-face, transforming into frustration, insecurity, negativity toward local culture, glorification of home culture, exaggerated responses Here’s how our respondents—80% of whom to minor problems, withdrawal and/or depression. spent 3-6 months in their host countries—an- swered the following questions: * GRADUAL ADJUSTMENT – With time, you’ll begin to orient yourself to a different set of cultural practices and feel increasingly comfortable and confident in your new surroundings. Your sense of humor, which may Which of the following have been lying dormant for a while, will reemerge. common symptoms of culture shock did you * REENTRY OR REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK – Upon returning home, you will experience? be faced with integrating your abroad experience with life in the United States, where you might feel disoriented, out of place or changed by your experience in a way that makes relating to family and friends difficult. While some degree of culture shock is virtually inevitable, there are things you can do to help yourself to effectively overcome it, even before you begin your journey. The Glimpse Foundation surveyed over 400 study abroad stu- dents from across the country to ask them about their experiences with culture Insecurity Fatigue Moodiness Susceptibil- Paranoia 38.4% 38.1% 22% ity to Illness 7.7% shock, including what helped them cope and what they would do differently if 18.8% given the chance. How long did it take you to feel comfortable in your new home abroad? Less than a month: 59.8% 1-2 Months 39.5% 3-5 Months More than 5 months 1.5% PHOTO by CristopherPHOTO Quirk 4.4% WWW.GLIMPSEABROAD.ORG/GUIDES.PHP ~ 1 ~ GLIMPSE STUDY ABROAD ACCLIMATION GUIDES CULTURE SHOCK faux pas! A n one of our first nights out I. BEFORE YOU GO in Italy, my roommate and I went out to dinner at a fairly * RESEARCH YOUR DESTINATION PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. Read up on your O host country’s history, religion, art and natural resources. Become well- nice restaurant. We were starving so we both ordered quickly, and as soon versed in the country’s politics and current affairs. Know who the presi- as the dinner arrived, we dove into dent is! If available, read an online newspaper from your host country our food. The people at the restau- regularly before departing—not only will familiarity with your host coun- rant were extremely offended. As the try’s politics and news give you something to talk about with locals, it will waiter later explained to us, to eat at help to dispel the widespread stereotype of the “ignorant American.” Read the pace we did is terribly rude and novels and watch movies from your host country, if available—they can considered an insult to whoever pre- provide insight into nuances of humor and personal interactions, which pared the meal. are often strikingly different from those at home. Erin Lauria, Lynchburg College * TALK TO STUDENTS WHO HAVE STUDIED IN THE SAME REGION. The Studied in Italy best way to find out about the etiquette, social norms, unspoken rules and idiosyncrasies of your host culture is by talking to people who have already lived there. If you know or can locate international students on your cam- pus who are from your host country, talk to them about the challenges “There really is only so much you they encountered in coming to the United States. This “reverse perspec- can do to prepare for culture shock. tive” can lend you valuable insight into the cultural differences between However, you can learn about the the United States and your host country. culture of the country, including such things as personal space, body * READ THE MATERIALS PROVIDED TO YOU BY YOUR STUDY ABROAD language, gender roles, what hous- PROGRAM. It can be tempting to blow these off, but survey respondents ing is like, how people use electric- stressed the importance of paying attention to such materials. Many have ity, and the stereotypes they have been painstakingly researched and prepared specifically to help you! of your culture versus the ones we KEEP AN OPEN MIND. While pre-departure “research” is essential, men- have of theirs.” * tally prepare yourself for surprises. No matter how much you think you Jenna Tonet, Stonehill College know about your host country, not everything is going to match up to your Studied in Italy expectations. Use books, newspapers, movies, study abroad materials, etc. to familiarize yourself with local issues and customs, but keep your pre- “It’s one thing to read about travel- conceptions flexible! ing there, but it is entirely another to talk to people who are your age and your nationality who have trav- eled there.” Sarah Case, UC Boulder Studied in Egypt “It’s essential to know and admit that there is going to be a period of adjustment; don’t expect every- thing to go smoothly all the time. You will have some sad days and feel lost a little. Those feelings are all normal and part of the experi- ence. They are what help you grow.” Liz Walker, Washington State Studied in Spain PHOTO by Elaine Ackrill PHOTO WWW.GLIMPSEABROAD.ORG/GUIDES.PHP ~ 2 ~ GLIMPSE STUDY ABROAD ACCLIMATION GUIDES CULTURE SHOCK excerpted from glimpseabroad.org YOU’RE THERE Taiji at Dawn II. WHILE Since each host country (and indi- vidual) is unique, each process of acclimation will be different. Cultural Complexities of Harbin, China However, when it comes to cultural disparities between the United by Abby Cutler States and the rest of the world, there are some that seem to hold est part of the day? Shower-time true across a wide range of countries: runs a close second, but my abso- lute favorite time of day is when 10 POINTS OF ADJUSTMENT B I’m lazily lying in bed in the morning, just YOU MIGHT FACE ABROAD: before I plan on getting up. I love these Concept of time and schedules 1. moments because in the morning, I am 2. Approach to work and integration of work into daily life ready to take on China. Then my day pro- 3. Eating habits gresses. I know to expect a headache on 4. Gender relations Tuesday and Friday afternoons, immedi- 5. Reliance on walking and public transit vs. cars ately following my two-hour one-on-one 6. Size of public and private spaces class with a teacher who I adore but can 7. Prevalence and permissibility of smoking barely understand. Lunch in the cafeteria 8. Incorporation of exercise into daily life might be cheap, but is also a daily physi- 9. Environmental conscientiousness (prevalence or lack thereof) cal and mental endurance test, involving 10. High interest in domestic and international affairs elbowing, shoving, spitting, shouting, spilled rice, second-hand chopsticks, Respondents stress the element of choice: you can respond to the differences staring, pointing, snickering. A vacant you find in the day-to-day life, values, customs and social cues of your host seat, in spite of the half-eaten, discarded country with judgment and rejection, or you can broaden your frame of refer- chicken bones left lying on the table, is a ence to recognize that other ways of doing things are often as valid as the ones godsend. Sometimes the dorm’s hot wa- to which you are accustomed. ter isn’t really hot at all; sometimes my Of course, no matter how tolerant you are on an intellectual level, psycho- roommate finds so many mistakes in my logical responses such as those listed above can still be very powerful. Recog- homework that I must do all I can to not nizing these symptoms, and acknowledging that they are common and not at cry. And my 24/7-language pledge can all abnormal, can preclude further anxiety and frustration. make life feel pretty lonely. Any matter of conversation is always undermined by the TIPS TO HELP EASE YOU simple language I must use in order to ex- INTO DAILY LIFE ABROAD: press myself.
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