Culture Shock and Cross-Cultural Adaptation Or, I Was OK Until I Got Here

1990 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 2-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riall Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Culture Shock ◽  
Physical Illness ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Transition ◽  
Cultural Interaction ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Cross Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Everyday

Cross-cultural interaction is occurring today on an unprecedented scale, as North meets South and West meets East. Many people believe that this will promote peace and understanding, and in the long run, they may well be right. But in the short term, such contact is more likely to produce "culture shock"—a stress-related syndrome whose symptoms can include. anxiety, confusion, depression, hostility, and even physical illness. This article discusses the phenomenon of culture shock and the role it plays in cultural transition—the process by which the exotic becomes the everyday.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Yun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Mass Communication ◽  
Culture Shock ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Identity Transformation ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
Adaptation Process ◽  
Common Humanity ◽  
Host Environment ◽  
Cross Cultural Adaptation

Countless immigrants, refugees, and temporary sojourners, as well as domestic migrants, leave the familiar surroundings of their home culture and resettle in a new cultural environment for varying lengths of time. Although unique in individual circumstances, all new arrivals find themselves in need of establishing and maintaining a relatively stable working relationship with the host environment. The process of adapting to an unfamiliar culture unfolds through the stress-adaptation-growth dynamic, a process that is deeply rooted in the natural human tendency to achieve an internal equilibrium in the face of adversarial environmental conditions. The adaptation process typically begins with the psychological and physiological experiences of dislocation and duress commonly known as symptoms of culture shock. Over time, through continuous activities of new cultural learning, most people are able to attain increasing levels of functional and psychological efficacy vis-a-vis the host environment. Underpinning the cross-cultural adaptation process are the two interrelated experiences of deculturation of some of the original cultural habits, on the one hand, and acculturation of new ones, on the other. The cumulative outcome of the acculturation and deculturation experiences is an internal transformation in the direction of assimilation into the mainstream culture. Long-term residents and immigrants are also likely to undergo an identity transformation, a subtle and largely unconscious shift from a largely monocultural to an increasingly intercultural self-other orientation, in which conventional, ascription-based cultural categories diminish in relevance while individuality and common humanity play an increasingly significant role in one’s daily existence. Central to this adaptation process are one’s ability to communicate in accordance to the norms and practices of the host culture and continuous and active engagement in the interpersonal and mass communication activities of the host society.

scholarly journals “Ethno-Inclusion – Ethno-Exclusion” as a Dualistic Model of Cross-Cultural Adaptation in the University Educational Environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
E. Pokrovskaya ◽  
M. Raitina
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Educational Environment ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Dual Model ◽  
Cultural Interaction ◽  
Cross Cultural Adaptation ◽  
The University

The article is devoted to the problem of overcoming the contradiction between the requirements of society for inclusion in the ethno-social educational environment and providing comfortable intercultural communication. Therefore, the goal is to study "ethno-inclusion – ethno-exclusion" as a dual model of cross-cultural interaction. The study is presented as an area of scientific reflection describing the situation of interethnic interaction in the socio-cultural environment and revealing the behavioral vectors of the individual, allowing characterizing the current communicative situation in terms of the impact of extremism and negative socio-cultural transformations. The empirical base is the research conducted by the method of questioning of Tomsk state University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR) students in 2017. As a methodological basis adapted by the authors’ version of the method "Types of ethnic identity" G. U. Soldatova, S. V. Ryzhova was chosen. The dominant type, according to the results of surveys, was the type of "norm", suggesting an optimal balance of tolerance towards their own and other ethnic groups. The article presents the models of behavioral vectors correlating with the stages of cross-cultural adaptation process according to M. J. Bennett, that allows us to consider in detail the structure of positive ethnic identity (norm). Positive ethnic identity (norm), represented by the successive development of ethno-relativistic stages of perception of another culture, in its maximum value is defined as the stage of "integration", which is fixed among senior students. The functional stages of "recognition" and "adaptation" is of a transit nature and has fluctuating properties. In the analysis of ethnic identity, it is necessary to focus on the conceptual difference between them, integration as a normative form of cultural existence implies the presence of multiculturalism, a polyvariant image of the world and the multidimensionality of personal experience. The authors rely on their own system of indicators of the quality of the ethno-social educational environment. The materials of this article lay the foundations of interdisciplinary approaches to the formation of theoretical and methodological support of "ethno-inclusion" in the University environment and can be used in the educational process in the preparation of courses on intercultural communication, cultural studies, psychology, philosophy and other fields of knowledge related to the construction of a comfortable environment of cross-cultural interaction.

scholarly journals Cross-cultural adaptation of research tools: A study on the Cultural Intelligence Scale adaptation in Slovenian

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 386-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Boštjančič ◽  
R. Boyd Johnson ◽  
Urša Belak
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Cultural Intelligence ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
The Other ◽  
Cultural Interaction ◽  
Intelligence Scale ◽  
Cross Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Cultural Assessment

The article examines the cross-cultural transferability of a widely accepted cross-cultural assessment tool – the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) – using research conducted in Slovenia and insights from the American and Slovenian researchers who translated the tool into Slovene and adapted it for use in Slovenia. In the context of a qualitative focus group based study, the researchers look at the specific characteristics of CQS perceptions within the Slovenian sample (two focus groups – one in the capital and the other in the south of the country) and identify barriers to these perceptions and the specific characteristics of the perceptions of Slovenian citizens regarding cross-cultural interaction.

scholarly journals ASSESSING CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN IIUM

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (14) ◽  
pp. 47-63
Author(s):  
Hassan Radwan Jamal ◽  
Saodah Wok
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Culture Shock ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Cross Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Clash Of Cultures ◽  
Host Nation

In today’s world, many international students from other countries arriving at the host nation are exposed to a wide range of local cultures and values. Malaysia, being a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-cultural country, is put in a unique position that attracts many international students and foreigners alike. Regardless, many international students experience a clash of cultures between their own and the host’s culture, which if not dealt with could have detrimental effects on areas such as studies, social-circles, and self-esteem. Therefore, this study explored the challenges that both undergraduate and postgraduate international students of IIUM encounter when arriving in Malaysia. This study employed a quantitative research design, using the survey method with a questionnaire as the research instrument for data collection. In this study, students aged 21 years old and above were surveyed. This study was based on the theory of cross-cultural adaptation, using the U-curve model that displays each stage of adaptation every student goes through. The findings demonstrated that the cultural stage of adaptation had a positive relationship with the cultural stage of euphoria, the cultural stage of culture shock, and the cultural stage of adjustment. Based on the theory of cross-cultural adaptation as a guide, all the hypotheses were supported in which all relationships were found to be positive and significant.

scholarly journals “Ethno-Inclusion – Ethno-Exclusion” as a Dualistic Model of Cross-Cultural Adaptation in the University Educational Environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
E. Pokrovskaya ◽  
M. Raitina
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Educational Environment ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Dual Model ◽  
Cultural Interaction ◽  
Cross Cultural Adaptation ◽  
The University

The article is devoted to the problem of overcoming the contradiction between the requirements of society for inclusion in the ethno-social educational environment and providing comfortable intercultural communication. Therefore, the goal is to study "ethno-inclusion – ethno-exclusion" as a dual model of cross-cultural interaction. The study is presented as an area of scientific reflection describing the situation of interethnic interaction in the socio-cultural environment and revealing the behavioral vectors of the individual, allowing characterizing the current communicative situation in terms of the impact of extremism and negative socio-cultural transformations. The empirical base is the research conducted by the method of questioning of Tomsk state University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR) students in 2017. As a methodological basis adapted by the authors’ version of the method "Types of ethnic identity" G. U. Soldatova, S. V. Ryzhova was chosen. The dominant type, according to the results of surveys, was the type of "norm", suggesting an optimal balance of tolerance towards their own and other ethnic groups. The article presents the models of behavioral vectors correlating with the stages of cross-cultural adaptation process according to M. J. Bennett, that allows us to consider in detail the structure of positive ethnic identity (norm). Positive ethnic identity (norm), represented by the successive development of ethno-relativistic stages of perception of another culture, in its maximum value is defined as the stage of "integration", which is fixed among senior students. The functional stages of "recognition" and "adaptation" is of a transit nature and has fluctuating properties. In the analysis of ethnic identity, it is necessary to focus on the conceptual difference between them, integration as a normative form of cultural existence implies the presence of multiculturalism, a polyvariant image of the world and the multidimensionality of personal experience. The authors rely on their own system of indicators of the quality of the ethno-social educational environment. The materials of this article lay the foundations of interdisciplinary approaches to the formation of theoretical and methodological support of "ethno-inclusion" in the University environment and can be used in the educational process in the preparation of courses on intercultural communication, cultural studies, psychology, philosophy and other fields of knowledge related to the construction of a comfortable environment of cross-cultural interaction.

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