The Unknown : Culture Shock

A sudden change in one’s surroundings can result in culture shock. Culture shock refers to the anxiety and surprise a person feels when he or she is discontented with an unfamiliar setting. The majority of practices or customs are different from what a person is used to. One may experience withdrawal, homesickness, or a desire for old friends. For example, when a person goes to live in a different place with unfamiliar surroundings, they may experience culture shock. Sometimes it is the result of losing their identity. In the article “The Phases of Culture Shock”, Pamela J. Brink and Judith Saunders describe four phases of culture shock. They are: Honeymoon Phase, Disenchantment Phase, Beginning Resolution Phase, and Effective

Cultural shock is a common feeling a person experiences when transitioning into a completely different environment and living situation. Throughout the world, immigrants experience many difficulties when assimilating into a new culture.

Changes occur in every region of the world; every minute, every second. Most people generally do not approve of changes. It causes fear, mistrust, isolation, and even pain. In my youth, I liked changes. Changes were something to look forward to, it 's fun to meet new people and an enjoyable way to see new places. It was useful to learn new skills and live experiences. So at the age of fifteen, my mother told me we were headed for America. No attention was given to these words, because I was a teenager who thought that the state of Texas would be quite similar to Toronto, but never did I imagine that this will completely change my perception of change. These changes have led me to understand the different culture between the north and south, not to believe in stereotypes, and made me adaptable.

Culture shock is the feelings of alienation, hostility, heightened ethnocentrism, sense of loss, depression and/or self doubt that may result from immersion in a new culture.

Pederson (7) explains that there are stages of culture shock, which he identifies as the honeymoon, negotiation, adjustment, and adaptation. In the honeymoon phase, a person is likely to get excited about being in a new place, meeting new people, tasting new foods, and acquiring new habits. However, as time passes by, they get into a phase of negotiation, where the differences between the culture one is used to and the one they find themselves in start to become apparent. Feelings of anxiety, anger, and frustrations start to take shape as unfavorable events perceived as strange come in the way of the person 's life, especially if a person does not feel accepted in the new culture (Mukherjee 273). Loneliness may set in, and the urge to go back to the familiar culture strongly comes into play. However, as time goes by, adjustment sets in, usually within six to twelve months, and one gets accustomed to the culture and also comes up with a routine. By this phase, one knows what is expected of them, and life once again becomes ‘normal.’

I agree, the culture shock that I am referring to is something that is uncomfortable by necessary. I live in Maui, Hawaii, and it is a very diverse state. Growing up, I had a diversity of friends who were Samoan, Tongan, Japanese, and Filipino. Although, when left for college to Honolulu, Hawaii, I meet a different kind of Samoan/ Tongan individual. My college friend was born and raised in the Samoan Islands. My friends back at home who are Samoan and/ or Tongan wasn’t as immersed in the Samoan and/ or Tongan culture than my friend in college, which is why I didn’t know that certain American words are an insult in their language.

Changes occur in every region of the globe; every minute, every second. Most individuals generally do not approve of changes. It entices fear, mistrust, isolation, and even pain. In my youth, I liked change. Changes were something to look forward to, it was fun to meet new individuals and an enjoyable way to see new places. It was useful to learn new skills and live experiences. So at the age of fifteen, my mother told me we were headed for America. No attention was given to these words, because I was a teenager who thought that the state of Texas would be quite similar to Toronto, but never could I fathom that this would completely change my perception of the world. These Challenges have led me to understand the different cultures between the north and south, not to believe in stereotypes, and made me adaptable.

One of the most obvious difficulties for an international student is culture shock. Culture shock is the result of moving from an environment that is familiar to one that is not. Adjusting to new food, people, environment and

Finally the last stage is referred as the “acceptance stage,” according to one foreign student. After some weeks or months we are noticing improvement within ourselves after have wrestling with the emotional stages. The final stage of cultural shock doesn’t mean that the new cultures and environments are completely understood, it signifies realization that complete understanding isn’t necessary to function and thrive in new surroundings. During this stage, travelers have the familiarity and are able to draw together the resources they need to feel at ease.

Change like many things can have its ups and downs, for instance you could be used to doing something everyday like sleeping at a certain time or drinking coffee in the morning. After a while these little things become a part of you and are hard to change. So when it come to having to change these things for some reason or another it can be hard but sometimes beneficial. Throughout my whole life I have been accustomed to changing my daily routine often, as well as my entire lifestyle. From moving from the U.S to Australia, then from one city to another, and eventually moving to Saudi Arabia, I had to experience many different cultures as well as having to adjust and adapt to each place. This has made me used to change and more flexible than I would have been otherwise. For example in Australia I was used to wearing a

Living with a different culture to our roots can lead to changes in our lives. Migrating to

The difficulty of moving to a new culture is that a lot of people would feel fear because they are so use to their own culture, so now they leave what they are used to a new way and it will be hard for them to adapt. Some may like the new food and the pace of life, then later on in the month’s people may feel like the new life and culture is unpleasant life for instance: public hygiene, the language barriers, traffic safety, and food accessibility. Still the most part in relocating to a different culture is the communication because they might not understand the language or might say the wrong word thinking it means the same in the other countries. People adjusting to a new culture often feel lonely and homesick because they are not yet

In 2010, as my sisters-in-law and their families prepared to immigrate to the United States (U.S.), my husband and I did all we can to advise and assist them in getting ready for their long journey from Nigeria to the U.S. To our surprise, contrary to every advice we gave them, in preparation for life in the US, they started out with trying American fast foods of different kinds. Culture shock is expected for anyone who immigrates to the US, regardless of where they come from. The type(s) of help the person(s) gets on how to overcome it and their adherence, most often, determines the future outcome of life in their new country of residence.

Culture Shock has played a tremendous role in the growth of cultural ecology because it is an issue that is constantly growing all over the world. In the United States, it may not seem like things are changing involving culture shock, but it is not any different then the changes in places like Africa and China for example. It is developing equally across the world because there are now more ways to travel. So, what exactly is culture shock anyways? Well, it is known as going to a foreign or unfamiliar territory that one is not used to, so they may feel symptoms of anxiety such as nervousness or shock because the customs, actions, beliefs, etc of those people may not seem familiar to them, so one may feel ill-prepared for the changing environment. Also, for example, if one was to go to school in the U.S. but came from China, they would feel culture shock because the rules in China are not the same as rules in the U.S. and so it may make one feel uneasy about the situation because they are not use to change and maybe the move was to quick for them to adjust properly. The United States is very different from foreign areas because the culture is very different. Where have people of Africa seen movie productions, music, sports, universities, iPhones, computers, etc? The answer is not where they live but in the United States if they traveled there before. This is exactly the issue with culture shock in ecology. Culture is what people behave like, feel, and do. Shock is a symptom

Learning about a new culture is very common now days. Most people immigrate to other countries looking for different goals in life. Some people immigrate for safety purposes; some people are looking for better opportunities and different quality of life. For some people adjust themselves to a new culture is easy; the younger they are the easiest is to adjust to a new different culture and a different way to live. However, there are many people who struggle every day trying to learn about a different culture.