The Cultural Shock Experienced by the Diverse Communities in the Current Multicultural Society - Essay Example

Rapid globalization has brought in an era of a pluralistic society that is an amalgamation of people from different countries, races, and religions. One of the most important compulsions of the change has been the emigration and immigration of people from one country to another to pursue their personal and professional goals. Cultural shock is a condition that is prevalent in the global economy. People, coming across from one culture to another that is vastly different from their own, experience the huge difference which is very unsettling and often finds it difficult to adjust to the new environment.

According to Dr. Guanipa, the cultural shock has been aptly described as ‘the physical and emotional discomfort one suffers when coming to live in another country or a place different from the place of origin. Often, the way that we lived before, is not accepted or considered as normal, in the new place’ (internet, 1998). The cultural shock experienced by the diverse communities in the current multicultural society due to widely disparate socio-cultural values is one of the most important factors that need to be fully understood in the broader context.

The changing values necessitate the development of a new social order which would not only embrace multicultural values but help forge a universal bond that would transcend national and religious boundaries for peaceful co-existence. Gender inequality and outlook towards casual sex are two of the most important cultural factors of the conservative cultures of South-East Asian countries. When people from these countries travel to the West, especially America, they experience culture shock. America is a land of opportunity and is characterized by its ever-expanding diverse cultural paradigms.

The democratic values are more emphatically visible here through equality between the genders and freedom of informed choices. The opportunities to exert those choices are openly practiced with societal support that an Indian immigrant, initially finds hard to accept. Language barriers, rules, and regulations, food, etc are other factors that make it difficult for them to overcome. It is important to understand that adapting to different environments is a gradual process that happens in phases.