What exactly is culture shock?
How do I adjust to this new culture?
This is a key question for many people living abroad or in a culture distinctly different from their culture of origin. We may notice worries such as “Will I be happy here?” ,“How do I make friends?” and “Can I get over this feeling of homesickness?” .
Culture shock refers to the feeling of disorientation and stress experienced when we are suddenly exposed to a new or unfamiliar culture, environment, or way of life. We can have challenges in adjusting to different social norms, values, and customs.
The four stages of culture shock were first defined by Kalervo Oberg in 1960*. We now have a less linear and a more individualised way of thinking about the process of adapting to a new culture. However, the four stages of culture shock remain valid: As we adapt to a new culture we often experience a “Honeymoon Stage” in which we experience excitement about the new culture. However, once we notice more differences, culture shock can set in. This is described as “Crisis Stage”. This phase is followed by the “Adjustment Stage”, which explains how with coping strategies and time passing, stress levels typically decrease as we gradually get used to the new culture. Finally, the “Adaptation Stage” sees us reach a new comfort level with the local culture. We are now able to confidently navigate the new culture.
Of course, this is a simplification as life is complex and many factors contribute to how comfortable we feel living in a foreign culture. We may experience some specific challenges long-term, independent of our overall comfort level with our host culture. We may also experience the stages of culture shock in a non-linear manner. For instance, someone might have successfully lived and worked in a country for 30 years but now that they are retired, they might start to notice a clash between their ideas for retirement and what retirement looks like in their host culture. Another person might never manage to learn the local language which limits their integration into the local community. Nevertheless, this person might still feel very rooted in their new home due to their family and their network of other expats.
Notwithstanding these points of criticism, having a framework for culture shock can help us assess how we are moving towards the goal of successfully adjusting to a foreign culture.
Over the coming weeks, we will be delving into some of the tools that can be used to overcome culture shock and successfully adapt to a new culture. For now, it’s worth taking a minute to reflect on the different phases associated with navigating a new culture.
💡 Which of the stages of culture shock have you experienced?
💡 What helped you navigate these changes?
💡 Where would you still like to become “unstuck”?
In this blog series, we will be looking at different strategies to deal with change. For personalised support with navigating change, please get in touch.
*Oberg, K. (1960). Cultural Shock: Adjustment to New Cultural Environments. Practical Anthropology, 7 (4), 177-182.
