Overcoming Culture Shock - Essay Example

Culture Shock Introduction Marx argues that culture is one of the greatest human tools for survival (4). It refers to the shared beliefs and values of a particular group of people, which include attitudes, way of life, language, beliefs, thought, religion, music, social habits, and food among others. Bayraktaroglu reveals that many people value their cultures and in most cases try to maintain it (43). This, in most cases, makes people suffer from culture shock when they happen to move into an area dominated with unfamiliar culture. In fact, a majority usually find it hard adjusting to different cultures owing to the differences in beliefs and values. Nevertheless, psychologists argue that culture shock is temporary and can easily be adapted to (Marx 8). The purpose of this paper is to examine what is meant by culture shock and how it can be solved and adapted to, as well. Culture shock refers to the act of feeling nervous and disoriented when living under unfamiliar cultural values and beliefs. This usually happens when one moves away from his or her familiar culture to live in a different inhabited by a different cultural groups live a very different way of life. Majority of those who travel have at one time or another suffered from culture shock. This is because they encounter a number of changes regarding the lifestyle of the new surrounding (Oberg Par. 3). To some, the experience may be exciting and stimulating. However, many people tend to experience the negative impacts of culture shocks such as anxiety, sadness, frustration, loneliness, feeling of being misunderstood and extreme homesickness and preferring to stay isolated from the rest of the people due to misunderstanding (Oberg Par. 3). Wanning notes that it is natural for many people find it had adapting to a new culture (7). This is because when one moves to a different area or country that practices a different culture, ultimately what they do, the language they speak, how they worship and the type of food they eat may be very different. It is natural that an individual from a different culture will find it had trying to adapt to such a new culture. If fact, even the way they do their things and their ideas may, as well be very different. For instance, when one migrates to a different city or country, he or she will most probably encounter an unfamiliar culture from his own. Despite the fact that some aspects may be similar, others may be very different. For instance, A US national who migrates to a country like China may find the life in China quite different, especially with regard to the type of food they eat, the kind of clothing they wear, the schools they attend, how they work, the weather patterns and their type of housing among others. This cultural difference usually makes it had for many people to adjust to an unfamiliar environment. As a result, a US national who migrates to China will probably find it had doing coping with the Chinese lifestyle in China. However, psychologists argue that there is no course for alarm with regard to culture shock since it is temporary and everyone has the ability to adjust to it as long as appropriate measures are employed (Ward, Bochner, and Furnham 33). Solving Culture Shock It is common that many people get excited the fast day they are to migrate to a different place, especially in home of a better life. However, the culture shock usually manifests to a majority of people once they land in a new environment. This is because they begin to feel sad and lonely for living very important people in their lives. With time, they start developing homesickness and isolate themselves from the natives of the new culture (Marx 51). In most cases, they also begin to despise the new culture by seeing it as being less important. Nevertheless, it is not always advisable to draw such conclusions. The best thing to do under such a situation is to maintain being calm, watch and learn and ensuring that everything is keep in perspective. As time goes by, the person will start adapting to the new way of life thereby making the difficulties to disappear. Anyone who develops manic feelings and therefore, not at a position to work normally after few weeks or months of being in the new culture should seek help from a parent or close friend for advice of whether to seek for help from a mental help professional or physician according to Marx (53). Learning the language used by the new culture is also very important in solving the culture shock (Oberg Par. 8). It is common that an individual may have difficulty understanding the native language of the country. As such, it is advisable for such people to try as much as possible to learn the language and ensure that they are comfortable either understanding, speaking or writing the language. This is because it makes one confident, as well as being able to socialize with people from the new culture. Failing to understand what other people are saying is the most frustrating thing. This is the same with not being able to speak things, which other cultures can understand. In order to learn the language first enough, one should take advantage of the resources available by attending a local school that hosts people from diverse cultural backgrounds. In case, such schools are not available, then one may use the library materials or community centers, or the websites to learn to obtain resources for learning the language. Marx argues that practice makes perfect (66). Therefore, the person should endeavor to practice the new language in order to understand and speak the language appropriately. It is also important that one understand what to expect and start learning it before moving to the new place. This ultimately enables one become more comfortable in a new place since they do not become suppressed. For instance, before one can relocate to the US, it is imperative to research widely on the American way of life and the diverse cultural practices (Ward, Bochner, and Furnham 49). Coping with teasing is also another important way of adapting to a new culture. For instance, a person’s accent or clothes may be significantly unlike those of the people of the new culture. This may make one find it had in the new environment due to stereotyping. For instance, one may be stereotyped as being a terrorist based on his nationality, which are so hurtful. Ward, Bochner, and Furnham argue that one thing that can be done in such a situation is to simply walk-away (49). This will prevent the individual from seeing that his remarks are bothersome. In other cases, one may use a friend, or parents to help understand the ideas of the bully. It is also important not to engage into a bitter exchange of words with the bully (Oberg Par. 11). Since there may be other friends and family members who might have suffered culture sock in the area before, it is imperative to seek their advice on how they managed to cope with the newness of the environment. Making friends with natives of the culture may also help in understanding the new butter better. Finally, one may seek counseling from a counselor or a teacher according to Wanning (26). Conclusion It is an acknowledged fact that many people who move to a different surrounding tend to experience culture shock in one way or the other. However, this ought not to be a major cause for worry as culture shock is only a temporary experience. This is because one can easily adjust to it by taking appropriate adaptive measures. Work Cited Bayraktaroglu, Arin. Culture shock!.: Turkey. Hoboken, NJ: Graphic Arts Center Pub. 2002. Print. Marx, Elizabeth. Breaking Through Culture Shock: What You Need to Succeed in International Business. London: Nicholas Bealey Publishing. 2001. Print. Oberg, Lalervo. Culture Shock and the Problem of Adjusting to New Cultural Environment. Worldwide Classroom. Web. 1 Nov. 2012. http://www.worldwide.edu/travel_planner/culture_shock. Wanning, Esther. Culture Shock! USA. New York, NY: Graphic Arts Center. 1991. Print. Ward, Colleen A., Bochner, Stephen, & Furnham, Adrian. The psychology of culture shock (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Routledge. 2001. Print. Read More