Directions for Installation of Culture Shock Absorbers

encuentroprblog
Jun 24, 2016
2 min read

On this trip we will have some baggage that we will not be able to see and that cannot be checked in or carried on the airplane. This is our “cultural baggage”. It is a part of who we are, how we think, and how we go about our day-to-day lives.

Unlike the American Express card, we must leave home without it! Cultural baggage should not be carried through customs! How will we survive without it? By using our survival phrase: “My, that is different! I wonder why it is done that way?”

Each day we will have an opportunity to use this phrase and to discuss what we are experiencing as individuals and as a group. Like leaving anything that is familiar to us, leaving our familiar culture can cause anxious moments. Entering a new culture can cause us to feel disoriented since things are not like they are at home. If we are not careful, we can lose our “flexibility” and become very rigid and fall victim to “culture shock”.

Culture shock is real. It happens to everyone. It is not a sign of weakness or an inability to adjust. There is nothing wrong with those who experience it. Simple, familiar tasks done without thinking at home now take time and energy. This causes stress. Things are different. People are different. What will we do? We cannot pretend that it does not exist. There is no way to “eliminate” it. We will learn about it and attempt to manage it.

Culture shock has 4 predictable phases:

Phase 1: You are a tourist. Behold, everything is new and this is wonderful!
Phase 2: New no longer is fascinating. New now is frustrating. Fascination gives way to frustration. Irritation and anger cause you to feel tired. Culture shock begins.
Phase 3: Hold on!! By all means remain flexible. Adjust to those things that are different. Do not try to fight them. You cannot change them. You will make it and after a while confidence will return.
Phase 4: Congratulations! These feelings subside and you are more accepting and open. Differences are better understood and can even be laughed at. Relax and enjoy your host culture. You are a pro.

To summarize, here is how to install our “culture shock absorbers”:

OBSERVING + LISTENING + LEARNING = ADAPTING

The alternative will result in a bumpy painful ride:

CRITICIZING + RATIONALIZING + WITHDRAWING = ISOLATING