Culture Shock and Reentry Shock 

CULTURE SCHOCK

You might have not ever considered what culture is and what it means to you until you decided to study, teach or research abroad.  Your culture affects everything you do from the personal "bubble" you need to feel comfortable to how you handle your personal finances.  There are two parts to adapting to your new environment- the first is anticipation.  You may have excitedly Google searched everything you could about your new home and perhaps have even started taking language immersion classes.  The period of anticipation usually lasts a few months into moving to your new home.

Culture shock is the second phase of adapting to your new home.  This is the stage that everyone talks about because it can be extremely unsettling.  According to Kalvero Oberg, the man who coined the term in the early 1960s, culture shock is like a disease- it has tell-tale symptoms and it can be cured. 

Culture shock refers to the slight discomfort or uneasiness you may feel when transplanted into a culture other than your own.  The realization that you are in a foreign culture or country may hit you when you observe the different clothing styles preferred by women and men or the embarrassing moment you realize you need someone to demonstrate how to use the traditional bathroom facilities. 

Enjoying your stay

• Stay open minded.  If you feel as though boundaries were crossed, do additional research about the culture to see if it was the norm.  If you do not feel comfortable with a particular custom, politely tell your hosts that you would rather not partake but do so in a way that they do not feel insulted, belittled or threatened.  U.S Peace Corps volunteers are trained for situations like these so you may find their website useful.

• Stay active, healthy and hydrated.  If you practiced yoga everyday back home, find a yoga studio close to you and continue your practice.  Continuing to care for your body will help ease your mind.

• Find someone who moved to your new home a few years ago and make them your mentor.  They may have helpful advice for transitioning and they can also act as your sounding board when you need to vent.

• Resist the urge to only befriend those from your home country.  While it may be comforting to talk with those whom you can easily relate to, make sure that you are truly making an effort to mingle with the locals.  People who avoid socializing outside of their ex-pat circle, like soldiers who live on base, often do not experience culture shock because they never expose themselves to anything different.

• Write out a list of things you would like to accomplish while studying/teaching abroad.  Stick to it!  Looking back at your list of accomplishments during periods of homesickness will remind you why you made this decision.

• Remember that you are not only a guest in your host country, but you may also unknowingly be a representative of your own.  New acquaintances may have never met someone from Japan.  Although you can try to drive home the fact that not all Japanese or not all Americans behave like you, it probably will not stop people from judging your fellow country men using you as a measuring stick.

• Respect the customs and opinions of the people you meet overseas.  If it is unacceptable for local women to wear pants, use discretion- don't be the obvious foreigner strolling about downtown wearing a bikini top and shorts!  If you feel as though the cultural norms are restricting you, find a hotel and let loose there.  

• Keep in touch with family and friends at home.  Phonecards can be expensive so consider keeping a private blog accessible only to those whom you invite to view it.  Although it may be private, avoid sharing anything online that may put your job or personal safety in jeopardy. 

• Consider taking or sitting in on an intercultural communication class.  Hearing it explained by a trained academic may allow you to accept the symptoms you're feeling as natural.

• Stay open minded and celebrate your new experiences and strengths.  Culture shock is normal and temporary.  However, if you feel more and more homesick as time goes on make sure you reach out to a counselor who may be able help you.

Re-entry Shock

Everyone told you about culture shock when you said you were going to teach or study abroad.  You expected that and everyone said it was normal.  But now you're planning your return trip back home and you're beginning to feel apprehensive.  Or maybe you're already at home with your family and friends and something just doesn't feel "right"; you just want to stay at home and don't want to talk with anyone.  You may have experienced this feeling before- perhaps when returning to your parents' home when you were an undergraduate in college.

When you return home after a long period of time away you are likely to experience a reverse kind of culture shock, called “return shock” or “re-entry shock.”

Re-entry shock can manifest itself in the form of slight aggravation or annoyance at not finding your favorite food or personal care products you used when overseas or you may find it difficult to communicate about your experience abroad with family and friends.  They may even say that your accent has changed!  You may find that people have grown tired of hearing your "when I was overseas..." stories.  You may feel like you are a visitor in your own country. The truth is, that you might have left home expecting nothing to change, but not only has time continued to change the politics/landscape/popular culture of your home country and the people you left behind but you yourself have also undergone a significant cultural transformation.

Easing Into Life Back Home

• Give yourself - your body and your mind- time to readjust to the language, the weather and old friends.  If you feel a bit melancholy, give yourself permission to spend some time alone at home.  After a week, begin making an effort to go out with friends and family.  Your re-entry shock may be as temporary as your jet lag.

• Find a receptive audience to share your adventure stories with.  Consider volunteering at a grade school; children seldom tire of exotic stories even if our friends and families do.

• Take advantage of international student groups on campus such as the International Student Federation and join in them in their annual international banquets, monthly meetings or become a faculty mentor and advisor!  If your college does not have an international students' organization, broaden your horizons by looking at what the community has to offer.  Many metropolitan areas have support centers for refugees that always have a need for volunteers.

• Become more involved with your community by shopping at farmer's markets, joining a community garden or by visiting the public libraries.

• Stay in touch with people you met abroad but don't be surprised if your relationships with them eventually fizzle out.

• Monitor how often you tell stories about your time overseas.  As exciting as it was, your friends and family may not understand your experiences and may tire of hearing about that time when you fell off a moving truck in Samoa.  After you have been back home for a month, limit yourself to 1 story per week.

• Continue to keep up with your private blog.  Writing about your experience may help you understand what it is you're going through.  Again, remember not to write anything that could put your job or your personal safety in jeopardy.

The important thing to remember when dealing with the pain of culture shock and re-entry shock is to be patient.  Be patient with yourself and with your family, friends and colleagues as you all adjust to you being back home.  If feelings of loneliness, sadness or depression persist, consider seeing a counselor to make your transition less difficult.

Do you have any other advice for our IFSA members who may be experiencing homesickness, culture shock or re-entry shock? Leave a comment below