3.1 P6: Culture Shock
Bochner: Culture Shock
Culture contact usually first time meeting of people who come from different
cultural/ethnic backgrounds
Within-society contact within society cross-cultural contact, i.e. multicultural societies.
Enriches lives of citizens in cultures that value ethnic diversity, less so for cultures where
intergroup relations are based on ethnocentric purposes
Between-society contact when individuals (sojourners) go abroad, and relationships
establish w/host society – temporary visitors. Most research on culture shock focused on
between-society contact. Most sojourners cannot opt out of contact w/significant host
members, unlike minority groups in multicultural societies, who can effectively segregate
themselves from contact w/wider society if they so wish
Similarity-Attraction hypothesis people prefer others who are similar to them, because
similarity of another person is reassuring. Values tend to be ambiguous, so people seek
guidance (religion, etc.) or through consensual validation – person similar to us will provide
support which confirms our beliefs, thoughts, etc. Dissimilar person can threaten our self-
image.
Culture-Distance hypothesis greater cultural distance between 2 groups, the more difficulty
they will have in establishing mutual understanding & effective communication
Determinants of Culture Shock
Social-cognitive factors
- Communication
- Non-verbal communication, e.g. gestures, etc., regulated by socially constructed rules.
hidden dimension of communication – hidden because they aren’t noticed until a
rule is broken. Potential source of trouble for outsiders of a culture, because they are
less accessible to them
Differences in core values
- Differences in values is another major source of culture shock
Reducing/Preventing Culture Shock
- Alert people that differences in values exist
- Select people w/personality characteristics that would help them fit in to culture, e.g.
flexibility
, Sobre-Denton: Mind the Gap: Application-based analysis of cultural adjustment
Cross-cultural adaptation = process of relocating to unfamiliar environment and working
on establishing a functioning relationship with the environment
Culture shock = stage in cross-cultural adaptation; ‘a crisis characterised by feelings of
inadequacy, frustration and anxiety that goes hand in hand with the realisation that the new
environment may be difficult and requires considerable effort to negotiate’
Theoretical Models
1. U-Curve Model
- Explains emotional curve that sojourners experience upon entering into &
immersing themselves in new culture
- Based around predictability; sojourner will go through 3-5 stages of emotional
adaptation throughout their time abroad
1) Honeymoon stage euphoria, 2) Culture shock disorientation, 3) Hostility
towards host culture resentment, 4) Initial adaptation sense of autonomy,
5) Assimilation into host culture sense of belonging to both host & home
culture
- Strengths:
explains emotional ups & downs
fluid; stages can be added/removed
- Limitations:
overly simplified, does not account for individual differences
- Therefore: model has been reworked many times, changing from U to V to W
- Linear shape may be more accurate: psychological distress highest upon entry,
steadily improves
2. Anxiety/Uncertainty Management Model
- From Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT)
- Sojourners feel lack of control in their host cultures bc of lack of predictive
ability. When they feel too little ability to predict/explain behaviour of hosts, they
experience anxiety. To reduce uncertainty & anxiety, they should have
communicative skills to gather info & navigate adjustment process
- Model is also predictive; expects that sojourners most likely to adapt w/least
difficulty will have strong self-awareness, adaptable attitudes, high tolerance for
ambiguity
- Strengths:
suggests that certain amount of uncertainty & anxiety are actually necessary –
shock is not considered a problem
accounts for cultural variability; designed to be adapted based on cultural
context of individual & situation
- Limitations:
could be seen as overly complex
Western cultural bias
3. Transition Model
- Cultural adaptation is a natural process that is part of human experience
Bochner: Culture Shock
Culture contact usually first time meeting of people who come from different
cultural/ethnic backgrounds
Within-society contact within society cross-cultural contact, i.e. multicultural societies.
Enriches lives of citizens in cultures that value ethnic diversity, less so for cultures where
intergroup relations are based on ethnocentric purposes
Between-society contact when individuals (sojourners) go abroad, and relationships
establish w/host society – temporary visitors. Most research on culture shock focused on
between-society contact. Most sojourners cannot opt out of contact w/significant host
members, unlike minority groups in multicultural societies, who can effectively segregate
themselves from contact w/wider society if they so wish
Similarity-Attraction hypothesis people prefer others who are similar to them, because
similarity of another person is reassuring. Values tend to be ambiguous, so people seek
guidance (religion, etc.) or through consensual validation – person similar to us will provide
support which confirms our beliefs, thoughts, etc. Dissimilar person can threaten our self-
image.
Culture-Distance hypothesis greater cultural distance between 2 groups, the more difficulty
they will have in establishing mutual understanding & effective communication
Determinants of Culture Shock
Social-cognitive factors
- Communication
- Non-verbal communication, e.g. gestures, etc., regulated by socially constructed rules.
hidden dimension of communication – hidden because they aren’t noticed until a
rule is broken. Potential source of trouble for outsiders of a culture, because they are
less accessible to them
Differences in core values
- Differences in values is another major source of culture shock
Reducing/Preventing Culture Shock
- Alert people that differences in values exist
- Select people w/personality characteristics that would help them fit in to culture, e.g.
flexibility
, Sobre-Denton: Mind the Gap: Application-based analysis of cultural adjustment
Cross-cultural adaptation = process of relocating to unfamiliar environment and working
on establishing a functioning relationship with the environment
Culture shock = stage in cross-cultural adaptation; ‘a crisis characterised by feelings of
inadequacy, frustration and anxiety that goes hand in hand with the realisation that the new
environment may be difficult and requires considerable effort to negotiate’
Theoretical Models
1. U-Curve Model
- Explains emotional curve that sojourners experience upon entering into &
immersing themselves in new culture
- Based around predictability; sojourner will go through 3-5 stages of emotional
adaptation throughout their time abroad
1) Honeymoon stage euphoria, 2) Culture shock disorientation, 3) Hostility
towards host culture resentment, 4) Initial adaptation sense of autonomy,
5) Assimilation into host culture sense of belonging to both host & home
culture
- Strengths:
explains emotional ups & downs
fluid; stages can be added/removed
- Limitations:
overly simplified, does not account for individual differences
- Therefore: model has been reworked many times, changing from U to V to W
- Linear shape may be more accurate: psychological distress highest upon entry,
steadily improves
2. Anxiety/Uncertainty Management Model
- From Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT)
- Sojourners feel lack of control in their host cultures bc of lack of predictive
ability. When they feel too little ability to predict/explain behaviour of hosts, they
experience anxiety. To reduce uncertainty & anxiety, they should have
communicative skills to gather info & navigate adjustment process
- Model is also predictive; expects that sojourners most likely to adapt w/least
difficulty will have strong self-awareness, adaptable attitudes, high tolerance for
ambiguity
- Strengths:
suggests that certain amount of uncertainty & anxiety are actually necessary –
shock is not considered a problem
accounts for cultural variability; designed to be adapted based on cultural
context of individual & situation
- Limitations:
could be seen as overly complex
Western cultural bias
3. Transition Model
- Cultural adaptation is a natural process that is part of human experience
