Encountering a New Culture – shock, stress and success Orientation Programme for International Students University of Jyväskylä September 02, 2015 Cheng Zeng

Why this lecture? You left your familiar environment behind and came to experience something new You are excited and full of expectations Some of you are skeptical about the importance of culture shock

The aims of the lecture To be aware of and open-minded to cultural differences To reflect back on your own behaviors To learn about culture shock To learn to manage stress and make the most of your stay in Jyväskylä Ultimately, to increase your intercultural competence.

What do you expect from your stay in Jyväskylä? Expectation from yourself Expectation from Finland Expectation from the University

What is Culture? A vague term that has countless definitions A way of life adopted among a community or a society It is shared behavior, which is important because it systematizes the way people do things, thus avoiding confusion and allowing co-operation It is our ”natural way of being” => unawareness of own culture

What is not Culture??? Just think about: Own culture as the center of the world

Culture= Nation???? Hofstede’s –National cultural dimensions – http://geert‐hofstede.com/national‐culture.html Gender, class, age, ethnic, regional, religious… Nations are not homogenous: Do pay attention to distinct cultures and subcultures within.

Cultural perception& Ethnocentricism What is perceived and how that is interpreted, are culturally learned Different cultures  different perceptions / interpretations of other’s behaviours Often partial and inaccurate Stereotypes, prejudices, discrimination, etc. Ethnocentricism: a tendency to view other groups or cultures from the perspective of one's own. Own culture as the center of the world

Culture as an iceberg explicit tacit customs, traditions, food, language, history  way of doing things values, beliefs, attitudes, vision of the world, presumptions  way of thinking explicit tacit Maria El Said 2008

What happens when we go abroad? Like the fish, we’ve been swimming in our own culture our whole lives. When we suddenly leave the water, we are like fish out of water. Own culture as the center of the world Ethnocentrism: a tendency to view other groups or cultures from the perspective of one's own. what is perceived and how that is interpreted, are culturally learned

What is culture shock? Culture shock is the mental, physical and emotional adjustment to living in a new environment Natural reaction Develops gradually (shock?) Indicators: differ from person to person feelings of psychological stress, confusion, anxiety, depression, helplessness, homesickness, intolerance of ambiguity, tiredness, etc.

Why do we have culture shock? Because of: The absence of familiar or comforting characteristics of one's own culture The presence of seemingly irrational, offensive, or even hostile aspects of the target culture. Lack of ability, linguistic or otherwise, to gain cultural understanding rapidly enough to adapt to these changes.

Intercultural adaptation U-curve model (Chen & Starosta, 2005) Adaptation to a new culture Intercultural adaptation U-curve model (Chen & Starosta, 2005)

(1) Honeymoon period (initial euphoria stage) Curiosity, fascination and excitement Neglecting differences, reinforcement of similarities (2) Crisis period (frustration stage) Confusion and disintegration when confronting differences in values, behaviours, lifestyles, etc. Ethnocentrism, rejecting the new culture,  noticing its shortcomings U-curve model (Chen & Starosta, 2005)

(3) Adjustment period (recovery stage) Gradual adaptation to the host culture By trial‐and‐error you learn what is appropriate, what  works in the new culture and you regain effectiveness, you  learn how to exist here Relaxation, comfort Sensitivity towards cultural differences (4) Bi-culturalism period (mastery period) Cultivated understanding of the host culture Feeling of enjoyment in the new environment Capacity for a dual cultural identity U-curve model (Chen & Starosta, 2005)

Re-entry or reverse culture shock (W-curve pattern) When returning to home country → readjustment to one’s own culture Proceeding through the four stages of U-curve model once again Often not expected Assuming that things “will be the same” back home

Re-entry shock: W-curve model Bi-culturalism Re- adjustment Honeymoon Going home Adjustment Re-entry shock Crisis Maria El Said 2008

Managing stress

Managing stress Expect culture shock to happen It is natural and not a weakness Give yourself time to adapt Don’t stay alone with your worries Talk to your family and friends back home Share experiences with other international students Write a diary / blog Practical matters: your tutors and the International Office Psychological support: Student Health Service (YTHS) Use your humor!

Adaptation leads to GROWTH The Stress-Adaptation-Growth Dynamic: A Process Model (Young Yun Kim, 2001) Adaptation Growth over time Stress

To be successful in intercultural encounters … Positive attitude and motivation Self-awareness ( = knowledge ) Social skills (  learning to listen ) Sensitivity: Patience Flexibility, tolerance for ambiguity

Experiencing Finland: some general information Respect for privacy and personal space Silence Reserved nature Punctuality Direct communication style

University as a Bubble

Success! Successful intercultural exchange brings: Awareness and acceptance of cultural differences Open-mindedness Personal growth: communicative competence, ability to adapt, discovering new perspectives to life, learning new ways of doing things.

More information KVVA103 Introduction to Intercultural Communication. Collection of Finnish public sector online services: http://www.finland.fi/ Guide to Finnish customs and manners: http://virtual.finland.fi/ Travel and Tourism guide: http://www.visitfinland.com/w5/index.nsf/ City of Jyväskylä: http://www.jkl.fi/lang/

Readings Chen, G. and Starosta, W. (2005) Foundations of Intercultural Communication Martin, J. and Nakayama, T. (2004) Intercultural Communication in Contexts Holliday, A., Hyde, M. and Kullman, J. (2010) Intercultual Communication: an advanved resource book for students Liu, S., Volcic, Z. and Gallois, C. (2011) Introducing intercultural communication: global cultures and contexts Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E. and McDaniel, E.R. (2010) Communication between cultures Ward, C., Bochner S. And Furnham A.A. (2001) The Psychology of Culture Shock

Enjoy your stay in Jyväskylä! Thank you for your attention!