Reverse culture shock is a transition, and an important learning experience. Give each group a cut up version of worksheet b and tell them to distribute the cards among each other. The population was young british volunteers working in a variety of cultural settings overseas n 380. Culture shock how to deal with the challenges of studying.
This impact includes the anxiety and feelings such as surprise, disorientation, uncertainty, and confusion felt when a person must adapt to a different and unknown cultural or social environment. Give each group a cut up version of worksheet b and tell them to distribute the cards. A survival guide to customs and etiquette max oettli on. Adjustments and culture shock us study abroad students. Its fairly easy to find most products, but if not, there will be an equivalent to get by with. Students will experience culture shock to varying degrees and for varying lengths of time, but all will experience it at some time. Use this time to rebuild relationships, interests, and your new worldly self. It incorporates both theoretical and applied perspectives on culture shock and a. Crosscultural management within switzerland university of st. Whether you travel for business, pleasure, or a combinati. The 4 stages of culture shock global perspectives medium. Almost everyone that moves to another country will experience some culture shock. Awkward i mean now thinking back a day later it wasnt such a big deal but in the moment i was sooo uncomfortable. Apr 08, 2014 living in a foreign country beings with it the risk of culture shock.
I stood on the dance floor surrounded by tons of tipsy swiss people belching out african song lyrics while attempting to move to the beat. Culture shock can affect people to different degrees, but there is a predictable sequence of stages that people undergo. Switzerlands four language regions can offer starkly different cultural experiences. When you move to a new country, everything is unfamiliar. Of course, culture shock manifests itself differently in different people, but research.
Switzerland is your companion to settling down in the land which is bestknown for watches, chocolates and the swiss army knife. While some degree of culture shock is virtually inevitable, there are things you can do to help. Culture shock in a nutshell culture shock is a perfectly natural reaction to a different environment and can usually be overcome with time. Such people often remain ethnocentric and miss out on the opportunity to be bicultural or even multicultural. Adjusting to a foreign culture may depend on how deep one is rooted in their own culture. Everyone living in a foreign culture for a period of time experiences culture shock, but how long it lasts depends on ones ability to adjust.
Culture shock is inevitable and acceptance is the first step towards adjusting better to a foreign culture. Weve already had 3 glorious days off, admired our osterstrauch easter tree, celebrated the holiday with enough chocolate to fit in with the germans so for today we decided on a visit to the swimming pool. Adjustments and culture shock in this section, you will learn what culture shock means and how you can overcome its effects. Pdf hottola introduced culture confusion as a new theoretical model to. Culture shock definition is a sense of confusion and uncertainty sometimes with feelings of anxiety that may affect people exposed to an alien culture or environment without adequate preparation.
Here is my 5 cents on what has helped me deal better with culture shock. My four phases of culture shock in switzerland kate goes global. At this stage, what is initially invisible in a particular culture values, beliefs, norms and assumptions become more apparent. Find answers to your questions in the switzerland forum. Reverse culture shock in students returning from overseas.
Culture shock in switzerland with four official languages and a multicultural population, having a wellinformed, openminded approach is the best way to combat culture shock in switzerland. This is attributed in part to the great influence brought in by people living along its borders. In other words, when you pack up your life, fly halfway around the world, and try to immediately immerse in a totally different culture, you can obviously expect to feel completely out of place and stick out like a. Pdf the psychology of culture shock solid plus62 academia.
Jul 14, 2006 culture shock is a form of psychological distress associated with migration. The distress you may initially feel is only one element of an ongoing learning and adaptation process that is triggered when you encounter difference. Additional items were obtained from an analysis of reports by previous volunteers. To create a series or add a work to it, go to a work page. A man playing a traditional swiss instrument, the accordion. How to cope with culture shock when moving download in pdf. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a new questionnaire to measure culture shock. The business climate is very formal and conservative and companies are. Culture shock is a normal, inevitable response among exchange students. Try to really put yourself out there and make friends. Dec 03, 2019 this is one of the best and most interesting ways to cope with culture shock and understand better the country.
Gaw university of nevada, usa abstract the reentry experiences of 66 overseasexperienced american college students were examined to determine if reverse culture shock in. In the germanspeaking part, one is very aware of the orderliness and. Culture shock definition of culture shock by merriamwebster. Enter the name of the series to add the book to it. Maybe this means that i finally did reach biculturalism despite my french.
Culture shock breaks out when the person is far from the family, hears the sound of foreign language, misunderstands people of another nation and is unfamiliar with food. I know that sounds puerile and it is, but i was 16 at the time so back then, boobs were a big deal and it really did shock me to my core. Angie bunch has been in the dance world for over 45 years. Success secrets guides offer relevant, practical information with the reallife insights and cultural knowhow that can make the difference between business success and. Share the culture shock messages cdmp3 with others. Culture shock is a term coined by anthropologist kalervo oberg, describing the feelings of disorientation, surprise, confusion and uncertainty experienced by those arriving to live in a new, unfamiliar culture. Culture shock and its effects on expatriates aisha naeem 1, ali bin nadeem 2, irfan ullah khan 3 1 centre of excellence in technolog y and engineering management, islamabad, pak istan. She is the founder and president of the culture shock dance troupes, inc. Keeping an international perspective is a special skill not to take for granted or put away. I had the biggest culture shock or rather reverse culture shock in switzerland. Culture shock is a form of psychological distress associated with migration.
My four phases of culture shock in switzerland kate goes. Social support has been identified as significantly related to the onset, course and outcome of many psychological disorders. You will be fascinated and intrigued by the new foreign culture, new language, new places, new food, new people and friendships. You will be fascinated and intrigued by the new foreign culture, new language.
Everyone living in a foreign culture for a period of time experiences culture shock, but how long it lasts depends on ones ability to. The common knowledge section now includes a series field. Purchase the complete expat arrivals sweden guide pdf expats moving to sweden are likely to enter with some degree of comfort. The online oxford dictionary defines culture shock as disorientation experienced when suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture or way of life. It is a natural process and nothing to be ashamed of. Pdf effects and remedies to cultural shock on the adolescent. Nov 08, 2010 books about switzerland beyond chocolate understanding swiss culture beyond chocolate is not simply a language translator, but what i would call a livingabroad translator to immerse yourself in the cultural attitudes of switzerland s fascinating, multifaceted society. There are commonly four phases to be met on the way to learn how to deal with culture shock, while studying abroad. Currently we have five different german way pages with cultural comparison charts on a wide variety of topics, ranging from driving to table manners banking and business practices in germany can be very. This handy guide includes information on swiss management culture, business hierarchy, negotiations and etiquette in switzerland. However, its an essential part of the transition process. The culture of the small alpine nation of switzerland is heavily influenced by the cultures of its neighboring nations of france, italy, and germany.
A willingness to work through it is the first step towards integration. Culture shock is the state of feeling different way, moreover, it is a state when everything is unusual from the one to which a. If you like arts like singing, dancing or playing a certain instrument you can look for a local club where you can do that and meet people at the same time. At the point of writing this post, i was in living in switzerland experiencing the third phase understanding. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again. I have fond memories of living in switzerland and hope to move back again in the future. A korean living in switzerland may find it hard to accept a swiss person smoking in front of the elderly, for instance. Thats why this week i want to talk about my reverse culture shock in switzerland. Despite its small size, it has a rich geographical landscape and holds a unique position in history by virtue of its location and neutral political stand. Author laura v posted on november 20, 2017 categories daily life, history and culture, red tape and bureaucracy tags cultural comparisons, culture shock, daily life, germany, history and culture, laurav, laws and regulations, social rules the good and fearless samaritan.
I wouldnt say it was a culture shock, but i did miss iced tea. Culture shock is the feeling of disorientation brought on by experiencing an unfamiliar culture, lifestyle, or set of attitudes. Currently we have five different german way pages with cultural comparison charts on a wide variety of topics, ranging from driving to table manners. Cultural comparisons our cultural comparison charts offer simplified comparisons of various customs and everyday culture in the united states and germany deutschland.
Factors that can contribute to culture shock include language differences, new expectations around manners and customs, different values, morals, dress codes, beliefs and ideals. Core culture shock items were derived from a consensus statement from the literature on culture shock. This is evident in the fact that the major languages. Reentry shock comes on sooner than culture shock theres less of a honeymoon phase, lasts longer, and can be more severe. Culture shock is a rather nervewrecking phenomenon, a sense of anxiety, nervousness and alienation caused by being exposed to an alien environment and culture. Experiencing new cultures, and obtaining a better understanding of your own culture, can result in some of the most positive, lifealtering experiences students have while studying abroad. List of books and articles about culture shock online. Reverse culture shock in students returning from overseas kevin f. Our guide will give you ways for coping with culture shock in a pdf too which you can easily download and use. Success secrets guides offer relevant, practical information with the reallife insights and cultural knowhow that can make the difference between business success and failure. What was your biggest culture shock going to europe. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between culture shock and social support, in terms of size, diversity of the social network and quality of support received, in greek.
Little did i know about the intricacies of the dialect called swiss german. Fifty years after stanley milgram conducted his series of stunning experiments, psychologists are revisiting his findings on the nature of obedience. Living in a foreign country beings with it the risk of culture shock. Germany has the best pastries in the world, im convinced. It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
Norway 69 thailand 20 switzerland 68 salvador 19 germany f. The country definitely has its quirks but expats who make the most of them get by just fine without suffering too much culture shock in sweden. Aug 01, 2017 the swiss culture is heavily influenced by french, german, and italian cultures. Center for international programs page 5 from the overseas experience with prejudices and stereotypes unchanged. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Getting started in sweden immediately upon arriving in sweden, new expats should head to the local skatteverket tax office and apply for a personnummer personal identity number. Travellers who had an easy time adjusting to the new culture sometimes have a particularly hard time readjusting to their native culture. Our cultural comparison charts offer simplified comparisons of various customs and everyday culture in the united states and germany deutschland. I loved the little outdoor cafes where you could get a cup of very strong coffee with real cream in a little pitcher, and a wonderful dessert for a little snack. Sweden is very western and similar to its modern counterparts worldwide.
The study of culture shock has also shifted to investigating the impact of motivation to learn about other cultures e. Read international magazines and foreign newspapers, or access news from your host country. At least thats what i thought when i looked out of the window before landing in zurich. Ive been in switzerland for over a year and today i share with you some cultural differences ive noticed here in switzerland compared to where i grew up in malaysia and possibly a little of. Additional items were obtained from an analysis of reports by previous. Understanding and overcoming culture shock culture shock is a physical and psychological reaction that comes from changes to your everyday routine. Culture shock and the problem of adjustment to new cultural environments kalervo oberg, cultural anthropologist1 i would like today to make a few remarks about culture shock, a malady which i am sure has afflicted most of us in varying degree.