CULTURAL ADJUSTMENT

Antania Fieldzah, Dini Ika Lestari, Lidya

Universitas Muhammadiyah Tangerang

CROSS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

CULTURE SHOCK

ADJUSTMENT PROCESS

RE-ENTRY PROCESS

INDIVIDUAL REACTIONS

CULTURAL DISLOCATION

OVERCOMING CULTURE SHOCK

CULTURAL ADJUSTMENT

CULTURE SHOCK

• CS is a psychological disorientation that most people experience when living in a culture markedly different from one’s own

• CS is a result of total immersion in a new culture.

• CS happens to people who have been suddenly transplanted abroad where they became anxious because they do not speak the language, know the customs, or understand people’s behavior in daily life

Symptoms of Cultural Shock

1) Sadness, loneliness, melancholy 2) Preoccupation with health 3) Aches, pains, and allergies 4) Insomnia, desire to sleep too much

or too little 5) Changes in temperament,

depression, feeling vulnerable, feeling powerless

6) Anger, irritability, resentment, unwillingness to interact with others

7) Identifying with the old culture or idealizing the old country

8) Loss of identity

9) Trying too hard to absorb everything in the new culture or country

10) Unable to solve simple problems 11) Lack of confidence 12) Feelings of inadequacy or

insecurity 13) Developing stereotypes about

the new culture 14) Developing obsessions such as

over-cleanliness 15) Longing for family 16) Feelings of being lost,

overlooked, exploited or abused

ADJUSTMENT PROCESS

(1)Honeym

oon period

(2)Culture Shock

(4)Mental

Isolation

(3)Initial

Adjustment

(1)Honeymoon

period(5)

Acceptance & Integration

RE-ENTRY PROCESS

(1)Honeym

oon period

(2)Return anxiety

(4)Re-entry shock

(3)Return

Honeymoon

(1)Acceptance & integration

(5)Re-integration 

INDIVIDUAL REACTIONS

Elmer (2002)

CULTURAL DISLOCATIONS

• The reaction someone makes in a cross-cultural encounter determines the result he gets.

• A positive reaction—characterized with openness, acceptance & trust— & produce rapport and understanding.

• A negative reaction—characterized with suspicion, fear, prejudice—& produce alienation and isolation.

• The outcomes a cross-cultural encounter can be of three types:

1) The encapsulators, i.e. people who keep on avoiding or fighting the second culture by trying to creating a ‘small exclusive world’ based on their first or original culture.

2) The cosmopolitan, which refers to people who adjust to both the first (original) and the second culture as well.

3) The absconder, i.e. people who adjust to the second culture and “ignore” their first (original) culture. To get more complete description, look at the following diagram.

REACTION

REACTION

Differences that cause disorientation

Differences that cause disorientation

Toilets—ClimateFood—Water Heat—Illness

Toilets—ClimateFood—Water Heat—Illness

Roads—ShopsDriving—Money Markets—Transportation

Roads—ShopsDriving—Money Markets—Transportation

Etiquette—CustomHabit—Belief Language—TraitsReligion

Etiquette—CustomHabit—Belief Language—TraitsReligion

FLIGHT:RejectionRetreatismInsulationRegression

FIGHT:HostilityAnger“Shock”DisgustDisapproval

Optimism, Empathy, Positive Outlook. Interest, Acceptance, Curiosity, Cross-Cultural EducationCross-Cultural Contact

Goes ‘native’, Falls in love with the new

culture,Adopts life-style, food,

dress, speech, etc.May take up citizen-ship

in local countryMay marry a local person

THE ENCAPSULATOR· avoid or fight the local

(second) culture· build ‘Little Batak’, ‘Little

China’, etc.· Minimum contact with

local people

THE ABSCONDER· Adjust to local (second) culture· Minimum contact with original

culture· Maximum contact with local

people

THE COSMOPOLITAN· Adjust to both local (second)

and original cultures· Aloof in both worlds· About equal contact with both

OVERCOMING CULTURE-SHOCK

1) Open your mind

2) Participate 3) Talk about it4) Be in contact 5) Be Humorous