Culture Shock

Mariana Coanca
Romanian-American University, Bucharest

Course Objectives

Definition and stages.

Understand the psychological consequences of exposure to
novel, unfamiliar cultural environments.
Describe the effect of contact with new cultures and list some
of the consequences.
Reveal the means of coping with unfamiliar environments,
and the techniques employed to prepare cultural travelers for
their new experiences.

Culture Shock - definition

It is a feeling of uncertainty, confusion or anxiety that
people experience when moving from a familiar and
predictable climate, to living in a new country.
It is a process of adjustment, and can arise from a person's
unfamiliarity with local customs, language and acceptable
behavior, since norms can vary significantly across
cultures.
The move can be permanent (immigrants) or temporary
(international students, business people, military forces,
etc.)

 What is the biggest culture

shock you experienced when
you came to Spain?
Did you experience any culture shock?
>> the answers of several students that studied in
France

 Helen (Ireland) the coldness of French,

Damien (Ireland) how quiet French
people are at a party, compared to Ireland.
Thomas (USA) French administration.
The preparatory system for grandes ecoles
to prepare a national elite.
Josef (Israel) being considered as an outsider when one
lives in a foreign country, and having to start from
scratch, in terms of social recognition and social position.
Kurt (Norway) did not experience any culture shock,
but rather surprise.
Philip (UK) lack of trust between French and British
people. The way French shop for food, smell and taste
before buying, as if in a bazaar.

 Karolina (Poland) Sharing a house with people

from such diverse origins (Africa, former
colonies, etc.). Having a drink with Irish
students, and speaking with them as if I had
studied all my life in Trinity College.
Regine (Cote dIvoire) my first experience of
material independence, having to live outside
my family home.
Siobhan (Ireland) disappointment with French
hospitality: the visitor must make real effort
since people do not naturally come to you.
Suzanne (France) the shock of living away from
home.

Culture Shock
Internalized construct or perspective, developed
in reaction or response to the new/unfamiliar
situation.
Kalvero Oberg (1960) first introduced culture shock:
to describe the anxiety resulting from not knowing
what to do in a new culture, ranging from discomfort
to profound disorientation.
lack of familiar cues about how
to behave in a new culture.

 Represents a process and not a single event.

May take place at many different levels
simultaneously.
Becomes weaker as the individual learns to cope.
Applies to any radical change presenting unfamiliar
or unexpected circumstances.

Causes of Culture Shock

International aid schemes;

Educational exchange programs;
Migration;
Refugee settlement plans;
Peace Corps initiatives;
Military occupation of large parts of the Middle
East;
Multinational companies and international trade
seeking to expand rapidly.

 Initially, the concept was used to analyze the

experiences of foreign travelers, who lived for
a significant period of time (longer than 12
months) in another culture.
E.g. diplomats, army officials, expatriate management staff, etc.

International
Education

It is estimated that

worldwide, at any

moment, there may be

up to half a million
students and scholars, attending institutions of
higher learning, abroad. (Edgerton).

International Education
Governments and foundations have supported students
and senior scholars, enabling them to spend varying
periods of time attending overseas institutions.
Foreign students account
for 10% of the student
population (Bochner&
Wicks).

Symptoms of Culture Shock

(Hofstede, 1997)

Increase in irritation;
Fatigue;
Criticism
Decline in initiative;
Frustration;
Confusion about ones own values;
Depression
Feelings of being rejected by the members of the new
environment.

The Stage Theory of Culture Shock

Sverre Lysgaard (1955) first developed the Ucurve hypothesis, to describe the adjustment
patterns of international students in a host
culture.

The Stages of Culture Shock

1.
2.
3.
4.

Pre-departure
Vacation
Angry stage
Adjustment
stage
5. Re-entry Shock

Carlos Nunez, Raya Nunez, Laura Popma

Intercultural Sensitivity

Pre-departure stage

- Culture shock sets in before you leave the country.

- It is a time of uncertainty Will I meet the
requirements?
- Everything goes on auto-pilot: finding an apartment,
filling in the forms, insurance, getting the right number of
credits, etc

1. Pre-departure stage
Elena (Romanian-American Univeristy student
from Republic of Moldavia) spent 6 months as a
student of Universite de Lyon
She was very excited about her stay abroad, but
had lots of details to arrange ( UE visa,
accommodation,improve language skills, to fill
out forms, a lot of stress in some way.
Leaving your country is a good experience but
can also be a very stressful one.
Its a time of hard work and preparation.

Vacation stage
You are abroad at last!
The first few weeks after arrival, most
people are:
Excited
Positive
Full of energy
The foreign language sounds exotic!
You have a new home.
New places, new people, new shop displays, exciting food, etc.

Angry stage

After euphoria, disillusion comes.

Its very tiring to think and to speak in a foreign language
all day, day after day.
You dont always understand what they say.
You feel excluded, when you dont understand the jokes
your new friends make.
You feel like an outsider.

Adjustment stage

In this stage you have started to learn more about the

new culture.
From all the sounds, sights and smells, you can select
what is meaningful and learn to ignore what is not
important.
You have developed a new circle of friends and support
system

Re-entry shock
Is the process of fitting back
in your old familiar environment,
after living, working or studying
abroad : a reversed culture shock.
You would think it was easier, but it is actually extremely
difficult, because you dont expect it

How to fight this stress?

Develop a hobby.
Be patient, the act of immigrating is a process of
adaptation to new situations. It is going to take time
Learn to include a regular form of physical activity in
your routine. This will help combat the sadness and
loneliness in a constructive manner. Exercise, swim,
take an aerobics class, etc.
Maintain confidence in yourself. Follow your
ambitions and continue your plans for the future.
If you feel stressed, look for help. There is always
someone or some service available to help you.

The U Curve of Culture Shock

 Re-entry Shock (Gullahorn & Gullahorn) an extension of

the culture fatigue and transition shock concepts, which
refers to the emotional and psychological difficulties
experienced upon returning home, overseas.

 The initial U-curve adjustment has been broadened to a

W-curve by J.T.Gullahorn and J.E.Gullahorn (1963) who
pointed out how the adjustment process on returning
home resembled the original adjustment process abroad.

5. Reverse culture shock

re-entry upon returning
to the home culture.

Obergs Stages of Adjustment

1. incubation
2. crises resulting from normal daily activity
3. understanding the host culture
4. objective viewing of the host culture
5. reentry
6. reverse culture shock
7. readjustment to the home culture.

International
Business People

A recent survey of 500 multinationals in the

US, showed that 29% of international business
people are now on a short term assignment.

Whether short or long-term assignment, one

has to deal with 3 areas where culture shock
can affect:
1. Emotions
2. Thinking style
3. Social skills and
social identity

1. Emotions coping with the stress of

international work and keeping an emotional
balance in order to perform in a business.
2. Thinking style you have to understand how
your counterparts think and be able to
develop culturally effective solutions.
3. Social skills and social identity you need
effective social skills to establish new business
relationships.

Working in a new culture can produce a

variety of reactions

Confusion about what to do

Anxiety
Frustration
Exhilaration
Inappropriate social behavior
Inability to get close to your
business partner and clinch
the deal
Feeling isolated
Becoming depressed

Competencies for managing

internationally
Tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity: circumstances
change unexpectedly, behavior and reactions of local
employees unpredictable acknowledging that uncertainty and
ambiguity exist.
Patience and respect: respect towards the new culture
without benchmarking it against the home culture, instead
trying to understand local reasons for the way things happen.
Cultural empathy: appreciating thoughts, feelings, and
experiences of others, focused listeners and non-judgemental
approach.

Competencies for managing

internationally
Strong sense of self: enables the expatriate to be
self-critical and open to feedback.
Sense of humor: important as a coping
mechanism and for relationship building, and to
buffer frustration, uncertainty and confusion.
Some of the abilities and skills needed to be
effective in the international working place
cannot be acquired but are deeply rooted in ones
character.

Culture Shock in Romania

A member of the communist block before 1990,
Romania is perhaps best known for its leader Nicolae
Ceausescu, for Count Dracula, Olympic gymnast
Nadia Comaneci or the football player Gica Hagi.
Still, to many expats these names are unfamiliar, and
similarly, foreigners can expect to find much in
Romania that may initially seem strange and may
inspire a fair degree of culture shock.

 That said, there are more and more expats

substantiating that the challenges faced when
adjusting to the way of life in this Eastern European
nation are diminishing, as compared to the past.
Foreigners should keep in mind that culturally, many
locals are guarded, and sometimes seem abrupt or
rude. This should always be taken with a pinch of
salt, as most Romanians are warm, friendly and
welcoming once youve gotten past their hard
exteriors.

Language barrier in Romania

The official language of the country is Romanian, a
Latin language linked to French, Italian and Spanish
and seasoned with some Slavic influences. The
second most widely spoken language is Hungarian, a
language more common to Transylvania than to any
other region of Romania.
Expats will be relieved to find that in major cities
good English speakers are easy to come by, and are
often eager to help guide you on your way or even to
walk with you for a while.

 Furthermore, expat English speakers will be able to

complete basic transactions, like grocery shopping or
opening a bank account, with as little knowledge of
Romanian as Buna dziua (Good day or Hello) and
Multzumesc (Thank you).
This is not the case in small towns or tiny villages
though, where the level of English proficiency
notably declines.

Weather in Romania
Climate wise, Romania is somewhere between
temperate and continental, and expats accustomed
to mild winters and summers may have some trouble
adjusting to the seasonal extremes.
Winters are cold (extremely cold in January and
February), with lots of snow and temperatures
descending to -15C or -20C, and summers are
sunny (sometimes very hot and humid), with
temperatures rising to 36C or 38C.

 While housing and offices in big cities are regularly

air conditioned, beware, Romanians are obsessed
with keeping warm, and its best to keep the climate
control remote with you if you dont want to find
yourself living or working in an oven.

Inconveniences in Romania
Expats moving to Romania should prepare
themselves for a few everyday inconveniences. For
example, twenty-four hour stores are few and far
between, and while supermarkets are stocked with
most food items, there is distinct lack of choice
between one brand and another.

 Other small inconveniences include smoking in public

places and restaurants, drivers disregarding the rules
of the road (and even rules of the pavement), and
the large population of stray dogs within Bucharest.
Traffic, specifically, can be an absolute nightmare for
any expat living, working or studying in Romania.

 The largest degree of culture shock in Romania

mostly comes from the countrys absurd
bureaucracy, high levels of corruption and poor
infrastructure.
One old, communist joke mockingly states that its
forbidden to use your hand when opening up the
door of a public institution in Romania, meaning
that your hands must be full of presents or bribes for
civil servants if you want to achieve anything.

Food in Romania
Romanian food might not be one of healthiest in the
world, but its certainly worth sampling.
Fatty meat, cheese, double cream and oily sauces
are staple parts to a local diet, and those who plan to
indulge will definitely need to discover an effective
way of keeping rising cholesterol levels at bay.

Romanian specialties
Mici (grilled meat balls)
Sarmale (forcemeat roles in cabbage leaves)
Papanasi (a kind of sweet dumpling with double
cream and cherry comfiture).
Try the Romanian beer and wines, red or white.
Before ordering your dinner, dont shy away from the
very strong and smelly plum brandy known as
tuica.

 On a slightly different note, expats may have some

trouble adjusting to the seemingly pious Romanian
devotion to smoking. Romania seems to be holding
out determinedly against the European-wide trend
to ban smoking in public places. Restaurants, cafes
and pubs in Bucharest are toxic places for nonsmokers, and non-smoking eatery options are
extremely limited as most restaurant owners would
rather go for the full smoking section, and appeal
to a wider audience.

Cultural etiquette in Romania

Ladies are referred to as domnisoara (younger
ones) or doamna (mid-aged and elderly) and men
as domnule. Romanian men have preserved their
habit of kissing ladies hand, and they love to
practice it when they meet foreign women.

The Roma People

Expressing positive or even neutral attitudes toward
the Roma people will often garner stern looks or
even flat-out hostility. Many Romanians would
attribute their distaste towards the Roma to the
perceived high levels of criminality among this group.
However, it is important to bear in mind that crime
exists in all communities, and that sometimes it is
more prevalent among socially-excluded or
disadvantaged groups.

Thank you!