Culture Shock Essay examples - 3448 Words

Culture Shock 1 Definition of Culture Culture as the most complex terms has countless different definitions ranging from complicated phrases to the simple statement describing culture as the way we do things around here. The widely used definition of culture is that of Meads (1951), A body of learned behaviour, a collection of beliefs, habits and traditions, shared by a group of people and successively learned by people who enter the society(Joynt and Warner, 1996, P. 33). Hofstede(1980) created the very illustrative definition of culture as the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another. Again to Hofstedes†¦show more content†¦With the rapid process of globalization, the individuals ability to adapt to new cultures is one of the most important elements of a successful assignment. Hence, anyone working on an international assignment has to be knowledge about the cultural aspects of the environment they are moving to. 2 Definition of Culture Shock Nowadays there are many definitions for culture shock. The term Culture Shock was first mentioned in literature by Kalvero Oberg in 1960. In his article he defined Culture Shock as follows the distress experienced by the sojourner as a result of losing all the familiar signs and symbols of social interaction (Selmar, 1999, P.517). And these signs or cues include the thousand and one ways in which people orient themselves to the situations of daily life. Oberg mentioned at least six aspects of culture shock: (1) Strain due to the effort required to make necessary psychological adjustments. (2) A sense of loss and feelings of deprivation in regard to friends, status, profession and possessions. (3) Being rejected by and/or rejecting members of the new culture. (4) Confusion in role, role expectations, values, feelings and self-identity. (5) Surprise, anxiety, even disgust and indignation after becoming aware of cultural differences. (6) Feelings ofShow MoreRelatedEssay on Culture Shock1163 Words   |  5 Pagesanswered with a smile â€Å"the heat is running aunty† whatever she meant I did not understand, although she spoke in English she had an American accent which took me long to adapt and decipher. My brother knowing that I will definitely experience culture shock, started giving me tidbits of what I would expect. I remember him saying â€Å"This is America my sister, they speak different here, many things have different names from home†. He then told me â€Å"open the trunk and offload your luggage â€Å"I responded â€Å"whereRead MoreThe Unknown : Culture Shock2100 Words   |  9 PagesThe Unknown†¦. Culture Shock Moving from a place that we are so familiar with into the unknown is a terrifying feeling we could experience. It is a terrifying feeling because we get attached to the place that we come to know and love. We are familiar with the streets that we drive on, and the houses around the neighborhood. We are familiar with the people around our surroundings. We know how to get from one place to another. It is a daily routine that we come are comfortable with however, we shouldRead MoreShock Culture Shock Essay5954 Words   |  24 PagesComparison of Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock Name: Cai Miaosen Instructor: Li Binbin 1. Introduction In recent years, the people who pursue their overseas studying have doubled in number. The overseas returnees also increase at a fast rate. Many people who have already got the foreign passport or the right of residence of other country gradually return to motherland to work and settle down. But unfortunately many of these people are suffering the varying degrees of culture shock or reverseRead MoreA True Culture Shock Essays867 Words   |  4 Pagesof different cultures, each one unique in its own respect. Culture; differentiate one societal group from another by identification beliefs, behaviors, language, traditions, Art, fashion styles, food, religion, politics, and economic systems. Through lifelong and ever changing processes of learning, creativity, and sharing, culture shapes our patterns of behavior and thinking. A culture’s significance is so profound that it touches almost every aspect of who and what we are. Culture becomes the telescopeRead MoreCulture Shock1485 Words   |  6 PagesDescriptive Essay Culture Shock: An Integration in a New Country LIBS - 7001 February 21, 2011 The word ‘CULTURE’ has been derived from the Latin word ‘CULTURA’ which means to cultivate, to grow (Harper 2010). Anthropologist Edward B. Taylor, defines culture as â€Å"That complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits.† (O’Neil 2006). This is the basic premise that beliefs, morals, and customs are all based on one’s culture. In the essayRead MoreCulture Shock Essay1136 Words   |  5 PagesCulture is defined by Stephen Bochner (2003) as different beliefs and values. From the beginning of the chapter, it is made clear that although there are many different definitions this is the most explicit. While focus is maintained on sojourners and tourists, the main idea is that changing cultures can have a major impact on the way people function. Boncher tends to stick to the idea that stress and anxiety can be heavily induced not only by encountering a different culture than an individualsRead MoreHow to Cope with Culture Shock1298 Words   |  6 PagesHow to Cope with Culture Shock | | | | | | * Front Page * What is h2g2? * Who s Online * Write an Entry * Browse * Announcements * Feedback * h2g2 Help * RSS Feeds | | | | | | | | Contact Us Like this page? Send it to a friend!    | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | In today s global economy, where major firms have branches in most areas of the world, many more people than ever before contemplate  living in anotherRead MoreCulture Shock Essay2172 Words   |  9 PagesOne of the biggest hindrances to people living in a new culture is the initial culture-shock that people experience, as well as the culture-stress that occurs as time progresses. When a person enters a new culture, there are many noticeable differences from his/her own culture. These differences have been labelled culture-shock and culture-stress. It is the initial differences, which is called culture-shock, that often cause worry, fear, and sometimes withdrawl. However, these can be easily overcomeRead MoreCulture Shock Of The United States Essay1537 Words   |  7 PagesCulture 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 unfamiliarRead MoreCulture Shock By Peter L. Berger990 Words   |  4 PagesPeter L. Berger once said, â€Å"The sociologist routinely experiences culture shock in his own home.† The definition of cultural shock is when someone finds himself or herself in an environment that’s unfamiliar and someone doesn’t really know how to act or do. It is out of the person’s comfort zone and to try to fit and feel included in society, once must first face the uncertainty of how the unknown culture acts like. When the sociologist looks closely at these things, he finds unexpected motives,