Culture Shock by John Doe Name of Class October 30, 2009

Culture Shock: Be Prepared! 1.Understand it’s going to feel weird! 2.Study, read, ask! Find out about cultural differences. 3.Be aware of your culture, as well as the new culture. 4.Relax, enjoy it, and when in doubt, read nonverbal cues

My Personal Culture Shock Paris, France – 1998 It’s modern, it’s European, it’s like the US, what could shock me? Even very similar countries and regions of strong cultural differences For example, someone that has spent their whole life growing up in NYC versus someone that has grown up in Littletown, Mississippi

What shocked me about Paris? The lunch breaks! The “nightlife” (?) Is it dirty, or old? No free refills?!?! The constant county fair

Core Cultural Components The Spoken Word Language, tone Nonverbal language Body language, signs Symbols What stoplight?! Social Norms “The way we do things”

Always remember…. Being aware of your own culture is just as important as understanding the culture you are visiting Culture isn’t “right” or “wrong”, it just is the way things are Everyone’s individualized culture is the right culture for them

References Adler, P. (1975). The Transitional Experience: An Alternate View of Culture Shock. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Bochner. (2008). Psychology of Culture Shock. Boston: Routledge. Global Experiences. (2008). Culture Shock. Retrieved October 27, 2009, from Global Experiences: Macionis, J. (2006). Society: The Basics. New York City: Pearson Education, Inc. Taylor, S. (2008). Culture Shock! France. New York City: Marshall Cavendish Corporation.