Culture Shock

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that culture shock is often an inevitable roadblock that is faced by individuals relocating or studying in a foreign country. Next, the paper describes the six distinct stages most people go through when dealing with cultural shock and discusses strategies for coping with the feelings associated with culture shock.

What is Culture Shock?
Various Stages of Cultural Shock
First Stage - Honeymoon Period or "Look, They Serve Fish and Chips
Here. Lovely!"
Second Stage - Culture Shock or "Ugh...I Hate Fish and Chips!"
Third Stage - Recovery, or "I Don't Mind Fish and Chips So Much"
Fourth Stage - Renewed Culture Shock, or "I Take It Back, Fish and
Chips Stink"
Fifth Stage - Breakthrough, or "I Still Don't Like Fish and Chips, But I
Can See Why You Like Them"
Sixth Stage - Re-integration, or "Where Can I Buy Fish and Chips Around
Here?"
Factors Crucial to Intercultural Adjustments
Conclusions

From the Paper:

"Culture can be defined in a number of different ways and through a myriad of various examples. It is a fluid concept; one that is constantly evolving due to factors such as globalization and the media. Neither every person one encounters nor every country one visits is going to hold fast to the stereotypes typically associated with them. Each person will display their own unique behavior or way of viewing things. However, it is important to understand that culture, as a concept, is something that a person or groups of people are born into. It is a set of norms, values and beliefs that one learns through the process of socialization. Culture, therefore, forms a conceptual lens, through which groups of people see themselves, their country, and the rest of the world."

More papers on Culture Shock:

• Essay # 18562 : "Culture Shock"
• Essay # 56260 : "The Tourism Culture Shock"
• Film Review # 119696 : "Shock Factor in Pedro Almodovar Films"

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