Week 8 - Culture Shock

Watch the film, Daughter From Danang.

1. What were the aspects of culture shock that jumped out at you?

The aspects of culture shock that jumped out at me were the living conditions in Vietnam, there was no running water, no gas or stove, the houses were small and had no insulation, there was no air conditioning, and etc. Other aspects of culture shock were the food, the language that was spoken there, the transportation in the city and city life, and the mannerisms of the people.

2. Was it truly shocking?

I don't believe that it was truly shocking because it is of common knowledge that Vietnam is not a well-off country.

3. What caused the "shock"?

I think what caused the shock for Heidi was that she had lived in America for practically her entire life and had been Americanized to a great degree. I don't believe she was ready to face such a big change of culture in another country.

4. How could it have been avoided?

There is no guarantee that the shock could have been avoided, but there are many things that Heidi could have done to lessen the shock. She could have done more research and learned more about the country and she could have been keeping a more open mind about the situation and what was going on around her.

Culture Shock in Italy includes:

• • high prices

  • personal space

  • food

  • gender relations