What could we say about culture shock beyond what thousands of articles and videos already repeat? Ah, there is the enchantment phase at the beginning, the eventual discomforts with everything that is different from what we are used to until the acculturation to the point of becoming a local. And on the way back home, reverse culture shock takes place, which is not bullshit, nor discussed with due seriousness.
Another country, other cultures, other mentalities, other laws, and rules. And you have to adapt and look at a new land from a perspective of “how things work here”. You will find a culture that already existed before you were born and will continue to exist after you die. So your opinion, if you feel comfortable or uncomfortable, it doesn’t matter. No culture has an obligation to offer you a safe space.
Moving abroad is literally a reprogramming of your daily life, regardless of the country or city where you end up. The process of adapting to another culture is already stressful and, when we underestimate the challenge or refuse to accept it, we simply hit the wall. As an excerpt from a letter from Seneca to his friend Lucilius describes it well: “A trip has never issued a judgment or undid an error”. The same goes for emigrating. In the same letter from Seneca, the following passage is for reflection:
“Imagine you are in Athens, Rhodes. Simply choose any other city. How will the customs of that place reach you? You carry yours.”
On the other hand, coming back home from an exchange experience, internship, or work experience abroad, usually pushes many people to a situation of not adapting to their home country anymore. Your horizons expand, you get used to a life that you can’t have in your homeland, suddenly, that experience that was supposed to be transitory opens you up to a world of possibilities incompatible with your previous routine.
Understanding the stages of culture shock
Culture shock usually occurs in stages, and your reaction varies depending on whether you feel inadequate or familiar with the culture of the country of destination, such as according to the length of stay. Each stage influences your perception of each experience abroad and the country you are in. One thing is to go on tourism, another to live long enough to know the pros and cons that every country has. We will then go on to describe each of the stages.
The Enchantment Stage
The enchantment stage is usually the tourist experience, marked by the fascination with everything that is different and the good side usually standing out in the early days. However, even on a short trip, a simple gesture that is normal for us can be obscene in the country where you are visiting; or non-observance of certain local habits can cause strangeness, offense, or make gaffes. After the first gaffe, anxiety comes.
The Disenchantment Stage
The disenchantment stage comes as soon as you face the first uncomfortable experiences or some reason that causes you disgust. You start to perceive everything that seems strange to you. It is the phase that, immediately after the enchantment, the feelings of boredom, stress, irritation, frustration, homesickness, the anguish of not be understood and of not understanding what is going on around you. No less disturbing are the language barrier, the strangeness with local habits and customs, and the difficulty of buying products that we always use. That’s the stage we find ourselves asking: What am I doing here? An exaggerated criticism of another culture and the idealization of your way of life also comes up at this phase.
The Resolution Stage
The resolution stage is usually when you go to everything or nothing, that moment when you decide whether to “accept the challenge or leave”. After the initial discomforts, you get used to what seemed strange to you, and you gradually release yourself. Anyway, it is the phase when you start accepting the local culture. Well, “that’s how they are”. There are different ways of perceiving the world and approaching life.
The Adaptation Stage
The adaptation stage is when you already feel like a local, after accepting the cultural differences that initially caused discomfort, you already embrace them. At this phase, you already forget that you are a foreigner, behaving like a member of that society where you are living. It is the phase in which the feeling of belonging emerges and notice yourself integrating into local life.
Tips for navigating across different cultures
At first, once you’re in another country, search for elements that make you feel at home, especially the positive aspects that interest you: local food and drinks, music, dance, culture, activities, landscapes, etc. If you are on business, study, exchange, or as a missionary – remember why you went to the country, focus on your goals and embrace the adventure in the adaptation process.
Going deeper, observe the habits and behaviors of the local population as soon as you arrive in the new country. As soon as you become familiar with the country and contact people for information before you leave, note the differences in the way of communicating, in the social hierarchies, in the forms of organization at work, and the daily habits of the locals. As a way of simplifying the reading of another culture, I recommend Geert Hofstede‘s methodology and his books, through which I base observations on the dimensions described below.
Direct Communication x Indirect Communication
Different forms of culture have different ways of communicating, and not paying attention to this detail causes a lot of confusion and disagreement. For those who are used to indirect communication, the direct form usually sounds coarse, rude; while those who are used to direct communication tend to lose patience with ornate and interlaced phrases.
Direct Communication: straight to the point, no bullshit, no need to polite in some cases. In societies where direct communication predominates, people often speak their minds face to face. Examples: Israel, United States, Germany, Netherlands, Russia.
Indirect Communication: inaccurate verbal communication, accompanied by gestures, emotions, all kinds of emotional games, labels, rituals, and long descriptions, and ambiguous messages. Examples: Latin America, India, the Arab world, Greece, Japan, China, Portugal, Spain, Italy.
Forms of Expression: Extroverts x Introverts
Following the form of communication, in some cultures, people express themselves with extraversion added to dance, swing, and all kinds of gestures; while in others, introversion with fewer non-verbal signs is more common.
Sociability: Reserved x Sociable
There are societies where it is easier to make friends and integrate with the locals; however, there are societies where such contact is more difficult. Without wishing to generalize, but generalizing, the social life with which we are accustomed in Latin America and the Mediterranean does not exist in central and northern Europe, for example. It is important to note that the concept of friendship changes a lot from one country to another, and outside of Latin America, friendships usually take longer to establish. Meeting people through hobbies and activities that interest you is the best alternative if you are in a country where you don’t know anyone.
Perception of time: Linear x Fluid
The contact with a different notion of time is not usually a problem for those who are on tourism, but for those who stay for a long time abroad for working and studying, it can be a headache if not used to delays. Here is the clash between planning and spontaneity.
Linear perception of time: punctuality is everything, delays are interpreted as an offense, and people are used to planning everything, as in German and Anglo-Saxon cultures, just like in Japan. Here, it is worth paying attention to local etiquette in case of delay. Whereas in Germany, notifying as soon as possible that you are going to be late for a traffic problem is acceptable; in Switzerland and the Netherlands, a railway company will publish an apology note for a 2-minute delay.
Fluid perception of time: punctuality is not the rule and depending on the society, nor does the concept of time exist, everything flows spontaneously. Delays can range from a few minutes to hours without any offense, and services tend to be delivered at the same pace, followed by bad customer services. During my time at AIESEC in Brazil, only foreigners arrived at the agreed time … Other examples are the “five Indian minutes”, the “five Egyptian minutes”, the “African time” on the African continent.
Labor relations: Relationship x Tasks
Labor relations are among the most important dimensions for those who are going to work or intern abroad. Working and interacting with a team changes a lot from one culture to another, depending on the importance of building relationships or performing tasks.
Task-oriented: here, what matters is to perform the expected work, deliver results, productivity, and that is it. In societies where such a mentality prevails, everyone does their job at the designated time and takes care of their private life – no one is forced to barbecue, drink beers and go out with co-workers, the boss won’t ask you how your life is going, no gossip, coffee is drunk at home. This is what tends to predominate in the United States and Germanic countries, for example.
Relationship-oriented: here, building relationships has more relevance than performing the task itself, especially to managers towards their team. In more relationship-oriented societies, building trust is the first step in closing a deal, negotiations are longer, emotional bonds are decisive for productivity, just like conflicts among colleagues. Another side of the coin tends to be prioritizing connections over competence, whether for corruption or as a defense to legal and political insecurity, as is often the case in Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and most of Asia.
Social Relations: Rigid x Flexible Hierarchy
In the dimension of social relations, power and distance relations between members of local society come into play. Contrary to what the politically correct crew seeks to believe, every society has its forms of power and status symbols, more evident in some while more discreet in others.
Rigid hierarchy: the distance between boss and employees, protocols and relationship etiquette in everyday life, locals holding high status are more likely to show off the power and show who’s the boss – “Do you know who I am? Do you know who you’re talking to? ”. The symbols of the power show off through the clothing brand, in the car, in the neighborhood where you live, job position, in the way you speak your mother tongue, etc.
Flexible hierarchy: the distance between boss and employees is often more fluid, protocols and etiquette tend to be less rigid. However, it does not mean that everyone sings John Lennon’s Imagine together to change the world.
Men and Women Relations & Roles
The relationship between men and women is a sensitive topic in most parts of the world, especially for women, even when on tourism. In most parts of Asia and the Middle East, there is a certain distance between men and women (in addition to sexual harassment), and breaking that distance, locals can interpret it as a flirt, a sign the woman is being easy. And by not observing this detail, a foreigner can already be seen as an “easy woman”, and be treated by local men in a way they would never do with a local woman. Pay attention to how local women dress and behave, and follow the same steps to avoid misunderstandings, otherwise, you could fall into trouble. Observe the local taboos, what is expected of men and women in the country, what they mean by relationship and marriage.
Well, I hope this article helps you navigate between different cultures and manage your emotions during an experience of culture shock, which is normal in the life of all travelers and everyone living abroad.
Originally posted 2021-02-28 21:34:22.
