The Rotary Youth Exchange Experience: Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock

1. The Rotary Youth Exchange Experience: Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock Dennis White, Ph.D. dkwhite@itol.com www.yeoresources.org

2. Culture An integrated system of learned behavior patterns that are characteristic of any given society. It refers to the total way of life, including how people think, feel and behave.

3. Culture Shock The profound sense of disorientation and discomfort that comes with extended travel or living in a foreign culture markedly different from one’s own.

4. Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all familiar signs and symbols of social interaction.

5. These cues, which may be words, gestures, facial expressions, customs, or norms are acquired by all of us in the course of growing up and are as much a part of our culture as the language we speak or the beliefs we accept. All of us depend for our peace of mind and our efficiency on hundreds of these cues, most of which are unconsciously learned.

6. These signs are the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the situations of daily life:

7. when, or whether to shake hands what to say when we meet people when and how to give tips how to make purchases when to accept and when to refuse invitations when to take statements seriously and when not what to eat and how to eat it

8. When an individual enters a strange culture, all or most of these familiar cues are removed. He or she is like a fish out of water. No matter how broad-minded or full of good will we may be, a series of props have been knocked from under us.

9. This is followed by a feeling of frustration and anxiety. People react to the frustration in much the same way. First they reject the environment which causes the discomfort: "the ways of the host country are bad because they make us feel bad."

10. Second, they look for anything or anyone that will help them feel more comfortable. This can be a fellow countryman, but it can be and often is anyone from anyplace who is also a foreigner

11. Keep this in mind when we later talk about The Irritability Stage and: The Inbound Syndrome The Homebound Syndrome

13. Ethnocentrism: The universal tendency for any culture to see its own values and practices as natural and correct.

14. Ethnocentrism: All cultures are ethnocentric - and must be to impart their values to their members.

15. Versailles

18. New Berlin, Wisconsin • Cairo, Illinois • Minot, North Dakota

19. At first we will be dependent upon translators – sometimes a risky business

21. Sometimes, even when we are trying, pronunciation leads to problems!

23. In a new culture everything is harder

24. Our own culture, or sub-culture, comes to us as naturally and unconsciously as our handedness. We generally don’t think about what hand we will use to write our names. Changing our cultural point of view is about as hard as changing our handedness. Both are possible, but neither is easy.

25. Handwriting exercise

26. The Cultural Iceberg Conscious behaviors 1/8th above the surface Unconscious beliefs and values 7/8ths below the surface

27. Advice often mistakenly given to American Outbound students (from an ethnocentric point of view):Just be yourself!

28. Consider the new culture to be an iceberg

29. You are the Titanic!!! (Ship Outta Luck!)

30. “Culture Shock takes me outside my comfort zone.” Exchange student journal, 2 months

31. Personal Examples • Holding hands • Crossing the street • Thumbs up

32. Culture Shock The profound sense of disorientation and discomfort that comes with extended travel or living in a foreign culture markedly different from one’s own.

33. Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism Culture Shock.doc The Middle Wave of Culture Shock.doc

34. TypicalCulture Shock Cycle Rotary Youth Exchange Months Pre-Departure 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Return …... Normal Level of Feelings Adapted from a model by Robert Kohls

35. 4 1 3 2

36. Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism

37. Examples ofInitial Enthusiasm and Excitement • Trying any food (once!)? • Saying “yes” to almost any suggested activity • Wanting to go and see as many places as possible • Finding many similarities with things back home • Politely and pleasantly smiling and saying “yes” whether you understand or not • Taking lots of pictures • Frequently sharing your new and exciting experiences back home

38. Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism

39. Examples ofIrritability and Negativism • Why don’t they ever hug or touch one another? • Why do they always hug and touch one another? • Why don’t they make their street signs easier to read?

41. Examples ofIrritability and Negativism • If they mean “no” why don’t they say “no”? • Why don’t they just tell me what something costs? • Why can’t anyone stand in line? • Why do they drive so fast? • Forcing a smile with clenched teeth when you don’t understand what is going on. • Complaining about your discomfort to sympathetic people back home, or other inbounds in country • Withdrawing

42. If the easiest response to the Irritability and negativism stage is to find comfort with other Inbounds or electronically with friends and family at home, the student may get stuck going back and forth from stage one to two, back and forth

43. Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism

44. The Inbound Syndrome An almost universal tendency for Inbound students, and expatriates of any kind, to gather together and become very close when living in a foreign country. Often this can be to the detriment of their ability to immerse effectively into the host culture. The Inbound Syndrome revised.doc

45. TypicalCulture Shock Cycle Rotary Youth Exchange Months Pre-Departure 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Return …... Normal Level of Feelings Adapted from a model by Robert Kohls

46. 4 1 3 2

47. Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism

48. Examples ofGradual Adjustment and Adaptation • Learning the language. • Finding yourself dreaming in the host language. • Finding yourself unable to precisely explain a concept you have learned to someone back home using English. • Insisting people speak to you in the host language rather than English • Going to host parents and local Rotarians with problems rather than people back home. • Speaking with other Inbounds in the host language rather than English • Becoming involved in school or community activities

49. A language learning game

50. Enculturation: The successful adoption of the behavior patterns and customs of the surrounding culture. (also called acculturation, immersion, assimilation, adaptation)