Chapter 5: What is Culture Shock?

What is Culture Shock?

Stress and feeling of disorientation experienced in a new culture.

Who introduced the concept of Culture Shock?

Kalervo Oberg in 1960.

Why is understanding culture shock important?

It helps us manage our own experiences and show sensitivity to others facing it.

List some contexts in which people cross cultural boundaries.

Work, study, life, business, performance, volunteering, government service.

What can lead to clashes in new cultural environments?

Bringing our cultural habits, scripts, and interaction routines.

What characterizes Culture Shock?

It is an intensely emotional experience.

What happens to familiar cues/scripts during Culture Shock?

They become inoperable.

What emotional responses can occur due to unfamiliarity in culture shock?

It creates a perceived threat, triggering fear and emotional vulnerability.

Name a positive effect of culture shock.

Enhances tolerance for ambiguity.

What is a negative effect of culture shock?

Psychosomatic stress problems.

Symptoms of cognitive exhaustion due to culture shock include?

Difficulty in making accurate attributions.

What are affective upheavals experienced during culture shock?

Loneliness, isolation, depression, mood swings, and interaction awkwardness.

What is the motivational factor in culture shock?

The distinction between voluntary vs involuntary and temporary vs permanent experiences.

How does personal expectation affect culture shock?

Realistic expectations can ease adjustment, while unrealistic expectations can intensify challenges.

What role does communication competence play in culture shock?

Involves cross-cultural empathy and behavioral flexibility.

What is socio-cultural adjustment in culture shock?

The ability to 'fit in' and form relationships.

What does cultural distance refer to?

Differences in language, verbal and nonverbal styles, values, and social systems.

What is a common misunderstanding regarding cultural distances?

Closer distances falsely presume 'Cultural Similarity'.

What personality attributes can affect experiences of culture shock?

Tolerance for ambiguity, introversion/extraversion, and internal/external locus of control.

Who are tourists in relation to culture shock?

Voluntary, temporary visitors usually for recreational purposes.

What distinguishes sojourners from tourists?

Sojourners are voluntary temporary residents usually for task-based purposes.

What is the U-Curve Adjustment Model?

A model describing initial elation, crisis, and regained adjustment phases.

What is the first phase of the U-Curve Adjustment Model?

Initial adjustment characterized by honeymoon elation and optimism.

What occurs during the crisis phase of the U-Curve Adjustment Model?

Overwhelm from personal incompetence and stress.

What is described in the regained adjustment phase of the U-Curve model?

Settling in and coping effectively.

What is the W-Shape Adjustment Model?

A model outlining phases of adjustment including honeymoon, hostility, humor, in-sync, and ambivalence.

What is the honeymoon phase in the W-Shape model?

Characterized by curiosity, excitement, and homesickness.

What feelings arise during the hostility phase of cultural adjustment?

Emotional upheavals, loss of confidence, and frustration.

What happens in the humorous phase of the W-Shape model?

Laughing at mistakes and objectively comparing cultures.

In which phase of the W-Shape model do individuals feel comfortable with local customs?

In-sync phase.

What is ambivalence in the context of cultural re-entry?

Mixed emotions about returning home while being excited to return to familiarity.

What is re-entry culture shock?

Stress experienced when aligning new identity with a once-familiar environment.

What are the re-socializers in cultural adaptation?

Individuals who assimilate and suppress new skills to avoid dissonance.

Who are alienators in the context of re-socialization?

Individuals who struggle to reintegrate and seek new opportunities abroad.

What do transformers do in the context of cultural adaptation?

Become change agents, integrating new experiences into their home culture.