Cultural Shock

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People moving to new locations are surprised and disoriented by new experiences as they try to
cope with new cultural environments. This cultural shock is experienced by international visitors,
exchange students, business people, diplomats and migrants. The cultural shock is later followed
by a period of adjustment and learning in a bid to cope (Understanding Intercultural
Communication, 2016). Cultural shock awakens one’s emotions and senses to the diversity of
human experience.
The visitor is confused, lonely, homesick, insecure, and finds communication with the host
awkward (Understanding Intercultural Communication, 2016). The visitor has to learn the
different meanings conveyed by verbal cues and body language. The person feels threatened and
stripped of an identity by the hosts. Values are disregarded and familiar faces removed, forcing
the visitor to adapt and adopt a new identity. Cultural shocks are therefore identified as ABC
Affectionate, Behavioral, and Cognitive (Isso.ucsf.edu, 2016). The visitor is affected by the
cultural difference, experiences anxiety, confusion, awe, disorientation, converse coherently and
observe decorum. Cognitively, they are unable to explain the happenings around them, or
recognize vital signs like a handshake. On the upside, cultural shock creates a sense of well-
being, accomplishment, self-esteem, cultural tolerance, environmental diversity, flexibility, and
optimism. Stress is tested while a coping mechanism is developed (Isso.ucsf.edu, 2016). On the
downside, cultural shock creates disorientation, confusion, mental exhaustion, psychological
torment, stomach upset, headache, loneliness, vulnerability, and mood swing.
In order to manage cultural shock, some people adjust their personal expectations, re-orient their
mind, improve their communication skills, prepare psychologically, and innate personality.
Voluntary visitors are often better-prepared to cope with cultural shock than involuntary visitors
such as refugees. Host cultures are more hospitable to temporary visitors, who are not pressured

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to conform (Understanding Intercultural Communication, 2016). Immigrants are viewed as
unwelcome visitors. A visitor should have a positive outlook and realistic anticipation of cultural
changes, pre-knowledge of the culture, adapt and embrace new cultures in order to lessen the
impact of the shock. Cultural diversity, such as language, gestures, values, faith, political and
social outlook, is more pronounced over long distance (Understanding Intercultural
Communication, 2016). In closely related cultures there is more disparaging altitude towards
each other’s values, for example between Arabs and Kurds.
Psychological adjustment occurs after the initial cultural shock. A resilient mindset overcomes
the trauma quickly, for example by accepting local delicacies as being nutritious rather than
unpalatable. Cultural adjustment involves fitting in with the hosts. The visitor makes
compromises, for example by managing relationships, or reaching out to the hosts. Host cultures
should also reach out to the visitors in order to help them integrate. Mutual and long-term bonds
start with cultural similarities and progress to diversities, especially through learning the host’s
language and values (Understanding Intercultural Communication, 2016).
In conclusion, when communicating with hosts, visitors need to be culturally sensitive, tolerant,
motivated to learn, adaptable, and skillful in assimilating cultural rules. Empathy enables
participation in other people’s experience. As part of personal attributes, the visitor accepts
ambiguity and even fits into the culture (Understanding Intercultural Communication, 2016). The
visitor who feels vulnerable can increase their motivation, lower their expectations of the host
compatibility, do research prior to visiting, seek information from those who have an earlier
experience, and train themselves on tolerance. They should also develop strong and weak ties in
order to vary their experience, and check their interpersonal behavior.

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References
https://isso.ucsf.edu/resources/living-in-the-us/culture-shock
Understanding Intercultural Communication. (2016) (2nd ed., pp. 91-100). Oxford University
Press. Retrieved from http://www.chegg.com