Devastating Consequences of Cultural Shock Tension - Term Paper Example

Abstract Each year, there are millions of people travelling into Australia more so students going into the universities. This has led to a dare need to address the aspect of cultural shock which affects foreigners in foreign countries. This paper will give a brief description of cultural shock with respect on the stages involved and ways of managing it by use of the seven-step plan for managing travel anxiety. The will specifically look consider a survey conducted in Swinburne University of technology to determine impact of cultural shock. It will analyze the results of the research and further discuss the results in a comprehensive way. The final part will give recommendations that both students and university staff can apply to avoid the adverse effects of cultural shock. Contents Contents 2 1.0 Introduction 3 1.1 Background 3 1.2 Purpose 3 1.3 Scope 3 1.4 Methodology 4 2.0 Results and finding 4 3.0 Discussion 5 4.0 Conclusion 7 5.0 Recommendations 7 6.0 References 9 7.0 Appendices 10 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background Culture shock refers to special form of context specific anxiety which develops due to encounters of intercultural communication. It occurs whenever one travels to an unfamiliar environment away from their usual residence. Generally, there are four main stages of cultural shock; eager expectation, everything is awful, everything is beautiful and everything is okay. To deal with the harmful effects of cultural shock, travelers can use the seven-step plan for managing travel anxiety (Marx, 2001). 1.2 Purpose The report is aimed at assessing the extent and effects of cultural shock to foreigners in a given country. 1.3 Scope Results and findings of a survey conducted on foreign university students will be comprehensively analyzed to determine the scope of cultural shock. The report also includes a detailed discussion explaining few theories of cultural shock and the evaluating the effectiveness of the seven-step plan of managing travel anxiety. Several recommendations were given to such students to deal with the problem. 1.4 Methodology A survey was conducted to determine the impact of cultural shock on 50 foreign students from Swinburne University of Technology. Questionnaires were prepared and distributed to the students. They were then collected and carefully analyzed putting in place all the considerations. The research also involved interviews with the foreign students. They were conducted exclusively to avoid leaking of personal information. Results of the interviews were also assessed appropriately. 2.0 Results and finding In response to the eight items being assessed in Table 1, most students reported some degree of stress for all items. Two items that’s showed great degree of stress were missing familiar way of life and relatives. The cultural shock item that produced the least degree was discomfort, feelings of lack of safety and discrimination within Swinburne University of technology and in Melbourne (Li & Gasser 2005). When the eight item that were used in the report were placed on a Culture Shock scale, the scale gave a satisfactory internal reliability (alpha=0.75). Evidently, there was existence of few significant situational and demographical variable effects. Student that were perceived to be weak in their academic performance had a high level of cultural shock compared to those who were performing well (F [2, 50] = 7.10) showing main of effect for country. Students who are from English speaking countries have less degree of cultural shock compared to those from Asia and Africa. There were no significant differences based on gender, age, faculty, partnered status, course type and numbers of years enrolled at the university (Li & Gasser 2005). Further, there was a strong significant in the various negative relationship between Cultural Shock scale and connectedness in Melbourne (r=-0.39, p Read More

3.0 Discussion From the above result, it is evident that culture shock is an obvious changes to international student in particular those whose home and host countries are culturally outlying. Evidence of feeling of dislocation, discomfort and distress is evident in their responses. It is for this reason that international students within the university need to understand the seven step plan for managing travel anxiety. In step one, a student need to identify a comfortable room within which he will be studying.

All facets (chairs, lightning, temperature and music) within this room should be in accordance with a maximum relaxation goal. Here, an international student is expected to familiarize with the comfort zone defined by his room. It is by being comfortable that one can move to stem two. Step two begins with having a clear visual concept of the world you are in. it is important to understand that with proper connection, it is easier to leave anywhere around the world. Try to understand the features of the world you will be leaving like an international student.

To avoid the feeling of discomfort and dislocation among international students, step three is very important in that one is required to develop a general understanding of that particular country. Step 3 and 4 go together in that step 4 entails focusing on specific towns on the program. Doing this assist one not feel disoriented. In step five a student should build interest in learning the host country language. It is important to understand that sophisticated use of language require a higher understanding of its context.

Step six calls for maintaining link with home group more often. This assists in creating measures which may lead to profound sense of isolation that can accompany travel (James & Devlin 2001). Finally, recognizing your effort in following the above described steps show that you are in control and in a good position of adapting within the education language. The strong correlation that exists between connectedness in Melbourne and cultural shock indicates a close converse relationship between these two aspects of variation.

While it is evident that we cannot determine causal pathways from such cross sectional study, our finding gives an indication that there are various entry points for designing programs to helps international students in adapting a new cultural setting. Reducing cultural shock and great enhancement to the home country are considered to be focal point towards proper new cultural adaptation (James & Devlin 2001). 4.0 Conclusion It is quite evident that many foreign students are faced with the challenge of cultural shock.

The effects are not only portrayed on their social lives but on the performance of their academics as well. The four stages of cultural shock depict that the condition develops over a period of time and it does not occur all at once. Symptoms of cultural shock might be just minor or very adverse and they vary greatly on different individuals. It was revealed that although many students suffer from this kind of anxiety, majority do not have the proper means of dealing with them and simply keep quiet about it.

The seven-step plan of managing travel anxiety has proved to be effective on foreign students who were aware of it from the beginning of their stay Australia. The importance of this plan therefore cannot be overemphasized since has positive lifelong results for both the students and the university. There is need to have the plan available to all foreign students intending to join the university if the university management will realize its goal of developing students who are both academically and socially competent.

Although majority of the students go through cultural shock, not all of them go experience it. This mainly happens for students who have travelled the world and have come up with ways of overcoming culture shock. It is important for students to keep in touch with their cultures in as much as they are learning the new culture. 5.

Read More