The Rotary Youth Exchange Experience: Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock Dennis White, Ph.D. dkwhite@itol.com www.yeoresources.org

Culture An integrated system of learned behavior patterns that are characteristic of any given society. It refers to the total way of life, including how people think, feel and behave.

Culture Shock The profound sense of disorientation and discomfort that comes with extended travel or living in a foreign culture markedly different from one’s own.

Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all familiar signs and symbols of social interaction.

These cues, which may be words, gestures, facial expressions, customs, or norms are acquired by all of us in the course of growing up and are as much a part of our culture as the language we speak or the beliefs we accept. All of us depend for our peace of mind and our efficiency on hundreds of these cues, most of which are unconsciously learned.

These signs are the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the situations of daily life:

when, or whether to shake hands what to say when we meet people when and how to give tips how to make purchases when to accept and when to refuse invitations when to take statements seriously and when not what to eat and how to eat it

When an individual enters a strange culture, all or most of these familiar cues are removed. He or she is like a fish out of water. No matter how broad-minded or full of good will we may be, a series of props have been knocked from under us.

This is followed by a feeling of frustration and anxiety This is followed by a feeling of frustration and anxiety. People react to the frustration in much the same way. First they reject the environment which causes the discomfort: "the ways of the host country are bad because they make us feel bad."

Second, they look for anything or anyone that will help them feel more comfortable. This can be a fellow countryman, but it can be and often is anyone from anyplace who is also a foreigner

Keep this in mind when we later talk about The Irritability Stage and: The Inbound Syndrome The Homebound Syndrome

Ethnocentrism: The universal tendency for any culture to see its own values and practices as natural and correct.

Ethnocentrism: All cultures are ethnocentric - and must be to impart their values to their members.

Versailles

New Berlin, Wisconsin Cairo, Illinois Minot, North Dakota

At first we will be dependent upon translators – sometimes a risky business

Sometimes, even when we are trying, pronunciation leads to problems!

In a new culture everything is harder

Our own culture, or sub-culture, comes to us as naturally and unconsciously as our handedness. We generally don’t think about what hand we will use to write our names. Changing our cultural point of view is about as hard as changing our handedness. Both are possible, but neither is easy.

Handwriting exercise

Unconscious beliefs and values The Cultural Iceberg Conscious behaviors 1/8th above the surface Unconscious beliefs and values 7/8ths below the surface

Advice often mistakenly given to American Outbound students (from an ethnocentric point of view): Just be yourself!

Consider the new culture to be an iceberg

You are the Titanic!!! (Ship Outta Luck!)

Exchange student journal, 2 months “Culture Shock takes me outside my comfort zone.” Exchange student journal, 2 months

Personal Examples Holding hands Crossing the street Thumbs up

Culture Shock The profound sense of disorientation and discomfort that comes with extended travel or living in a foreign culture markedly different from one’s own.

Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism Culture Shock.doc  The Middle Wave of Culture Shock.doc 

Typical Culture Shock Cycle Rotary Youth Exchange Typical Culture Shock Cycle Months Pre-Departure 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Return …... Normal Level of Feelings Adapted from a model by Robert Kohls

4 1 3 2

Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism

Examples of Initial Enthusiasm and Excitement Trying any food (once!)? Saying “yes” to almost any suggested activity Wanting to go and see as many places as possible Finding many similarities with things back home Politely and pleasantly smiling and saying “yes” whether you understand or not Taking lots of pictures Frequently sharing your new and exciting experiences back home

Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism

Examples of Irritability and Negativism Why don’t they ever hug or touch one another? Why do they always hug and touch one another? Why don’t they make their street signs easier to read?

Examples of Irritability and Negativism If they mean “no” why don’t they say “no”? Why don’t they just tell me what something costs? Why can’t anyone stand in line? Why do they drive so fast? Forcing a smile with clenched teeth when you don’t understand what is going on. Complaining about your discomfort to sympathetic people back home, or other inbounds in country Withdrawing

If the easiest response to the Irritability and negativism stage is to find comfort with other Inbounds or electronically with friends and family at home, the student may get stuck going back and forth from stage one to two, back and forth

Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism

The Inbound Syndrome An almost universal tendency for Inbound students, and expatriates of any kind, to gather together and become very close when living in a foreign country. Often this can be to the detriment of their ability to immerse effectively into the host culture. The Inbound Syndrome revised.doc 

Typical Culture Shock Cycle Rotary Youth Exchange Typical Culture Shock Cycle Months Pre-Departure 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Return …... Normal Level of Feelings Adapted from a model by Robert Kohls

4 1 3 2

Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism

Examples of Gradual Adjustment and Adaptation Learning the language. Finding yourself dreaming in the host language. Finding yourself unable to precisely explain a concept you have learned to someone back home using English. Insisting people speak to you in the host language rather than English Going to host parents and local Rotarians with problems rather than people back home. Speaking with other Inbounds in the host language rather than English Becoming involved in school or community activities

A language learning game

Enculturation: of the surrounding culture. The successful adoption of the behavior patterns and customs of the surrounding culture. (also called acculturation, immersion, assimilation, adaptation)

Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism

Examples of Integration and Bi-Culturalism Not having to translate in your head first. Traveling across town by bus, making a purchase, meeting friends in the host language and no one asks “where are you from”? Engaging in host culture practices without thinking: - Eating with fingers, or a knife and fork or chop sticks - Standing close, or distant, in line with host customs and feeling comfortable. Accepting and appreciating fundamentally different cultural values as just that – different not right or wrong. Telling people back home – I’m not ready – you can’t make me come back!

Culture Shock Cycle Adapted from a model by Robert Kohls Rotary Youth Exchange Culture Shock Cycle Months Pre-Departure 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Return …... Normal Level of Feelings Adapted from a model by Robert Kohls

Most people anticipate some degree of culture shock Most people anticipate some degree of culture shock. Very few people believe they will experience reverse culture shock.

Reverse Culture Shock (Re-entry Shock) The often unexpected and difficult period of disorientation and readjustment experienced after returning to one’s own culture after an extended period of living abroad. So You Think You're Home Now.doc  Going Home.doc 

The Stages of Reverse Culture Shock are almost the same as those of Culture Shock Initial Euphoria (may be very brief or not happen at all) Irritability and Negativism ( may be very lengthy) Gradual Adaptation True Bi-Culturalism

“It is impossible to describe the shock of return “It is impossible to describe the shock of return. I recall how I stood for the longest time staring at a newly painted yellow line on a neatly formed cement curb. Yellow, yellow line. I pondered the human industry, the paint, the cement truck and concrete forms and all the resources that had gone into that one curb. For what? I could not quite think of an answer. So that no car would park there? Are there so many cars that America must be divided into places with and places without them? Was it always so, or did they multiply vastly, along with telephones and new shoes and transistor radios and cellophane wrapped tomatoes, in our absence?” The Poisonwood Bible

Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock are not just unpleasant side effects of international living. They are the necessary ingredients that bring about quality intercultural education.

For more information, visit www.yeoresources.org Dennis White, Ph.D. 207 S. 4th Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI. 54235 Telephone 920-746-1346 Fax 920-746-1347 Email dkwhite@itol.com For more information, visit www.yeoresources.org