What is a cultural shock?

Cultural shock means the shock someone feels when he/she visits or migrates to some other country because of the cultural differences between the native and the foreign country. As a result of the change in the environments, some sort of personal disorientation may happen. When someone undergoes the transition from one lifestyle to another, it really creates a shock. Different people, different language, different place - naturally bring a puzzled mindset.

Honeymoon

The immigrant of the visitor starts to interact and respond to the foreign environment in a romantic way. For e.g. he may start to appreciate the way the natives there speak, the markets there, the infrastructure and they work opportunities etc. This is the very first stage when someone takes the effort to be accustomed to that environment. 

This phase has its roots more in imagination and interpretation that in reality. Naturally, this phase eventually ends. 

Negotiation 

This phase normally comes in around 3 months.This is the phase when the immigrant or the visitor starts to realize the cultural differences that are bringing issues. The biggest issue probably is that of the communication. It may not be so easy to talk in a foreign language for all. The linguistic nuance is a big problem. Even the body language is different. The pattern of logic is not matching many times.And because of lesser communication, loneliness deepens.

The body clock is disturbed. As a result, there could be insomnia and daylight drowsiness. And it takes some time to get adjusted. In the case of illness, it is tough to recognize drugs as they are being sold with some other names. Even the gut flora needs to adjust to different bacteria level and concentration in food and water. 

There could be sufficient reason to feel hurt in a foreign environment as the way of response to different events there could substantially vary from that in one’s own country. The cultural attitude, public hygiene and accessibility, food habits, transportation and other such things may trigger the feeling of disconnection from the new surroundings. 

In the honeymoon period, all seems to be good. But with the passage of time things change and the day to day experience of life starts to cause anxiety, frustration and possibly homesickness. All this ultimately affect the lifestyle as a whole. 

Adjustment 

Normally in 6 to 12 months one starts to get accustomed to the new surroundings. One develops the tactics to troubleshoot and problem-solving skills. Positive approach replaces the negativity to a good extent and the lifestyle start to make sense and things normalize. One knows what expectations are fit there and what not. A routine life evolves and settlement starts to be cultured.

Adaptation 

This phase comes when one starts to feel full comfort in the host culture and starts to participate in various things there with all pleasure and ease. This is also called the mastery stage or the bicultural stage. One still keeps many traits from the original culture but still, coming in this phase, one has been mingled in the new surrounding to a great extent.

This is the reverse of the cultural shock. When someone comes back to one’s primary culture after passing a long time abroad, one feels the same cultural shock and probably even more. Things are now changed. One’s expectation and imagination about one’s own country or location now may not match with the reality.It is a shock.

When we are out of the country, eventually we forget all the bad in our past life and keep the good only in our memory. At least we want to do that. But life is not just about the good things. There is always the other side of the coin. But being away from the primary culture, one becomes passionate and cuts all the bad related to the primary culture from the memory. Secondly, we think that our place would be the same as it was when we left it. We do not like to realize that time has passed and the world continued without us. Things have been changed and we need to adapt and adjust back again. 

All this really may result in deep anguish. This is the reverse cultural shock. 

Three Types of People 

People could be classified in three broad categories from the point of view of their interaction with the foreign culture:

Cosmopolitan

These people adopt those things which they suppose to be good and also maintain their original traits to maintain their original blend.

Adopters

These people almost totally assimilate into the foreign culture. They eventually leave all their original traits and take all the aspects of the foreign culture.

Rejectors

These people never adjust to the foreign culture and find their being back to the primary culture the only way out. They keep themselves isolated from the foreign culture and think that it is hostile. Such persons feel many problems in adjusting back home too.