Culture Shock

Culture shock is a growing phenomenon all over the world as globalization continues to spread and many people move from one country to another in an effort to improve the circumstances of their lives. Many people experience culture shock when they encounter other cultures which are not similar to those in which they formerly used to live. This unfamiliarity with the new culture makes many of those who encounter it fail to understand the factors which influence conduct of local people so that they do not discern how they themselves should behave. When these people lose all familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse, they have to try to adapt themselves to different lifestyles, living conditions and business practices in a new cultural setting and this often proves to be a long term and difficult process. In this condition, feelings of alienation accumulate sharply because of poor adaptation and consequentially, culture shock occurs, followed by a series of psychological confusion and emotional discomfort (Xia, 97 – 101).

There tends to be many responses to culture shock and this depends on individuals. Some people often choose to completely immerse themselves in the new culture which they have encountered in an attempt to fit into the fabric of the new society. Such people often shun the culture which they previously used to practice and instead develop a very negative attitude towards it (Dongfeng, 70 – 74). Others choose to only adopt the aspects of the new culture they have encountered which they consider to be good but continue to practice the culture which they are more familiar with. A third group chooses to completely reject the new culture and tightly stick to the culture which they believe to be the best for them. These often create their own settlements or sectors within the society in which they have gone to live and it is only on rare occasion that they encounter the new culture.