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Culture Shock Every now and then you will see a fellow traveler lose their temper over something seemingly unimportant. This could be a sign of a temperamental person or it could be a sign of culture shock.
Culture shock refers to a variety of feelings which may be experienced by someone when having to function in a different social or cultural environment. Such feelings may include anxiety, surprise, disorientation, anger, superiority, or even shame.
It is not uncommon to start seeing both the good and the bad in one’s home culture when submersed in another. After all, that is to some extent one of the main reasons for travel. Culture shock refers to the feelings attached to those realizations; or, if there haven’t been cognitive realizations as yet, to the uncertainties about what is happening around someone.
Some people have very intense reactions - “I’m outta here!!” on the one hand or “I’m never moving back to France!!” on the other. Other people may have subtle reactions that grow over time. Some people may even feel depression.
Those feelings can and will change over time. At first, everything new may seem just terrific. “I love Indian food! Bring it on!” may, two weeks down the road, turn to “Haven’t they ever heard of a “slice” on this side of the world?! I’m SICK of Indian food!”
Culture shock also rears its multi-colored head when one starts to miss things back home - one may miss the pace of life, one may miss the humor that can only be had by speaking one’s language natively, or one may simply want some food prepared the way he or she has been used to for so long.
When culture shock hits hard, give in. Go to a place frequented by expatriates, have some English or American or Canadian or Aussie food, and indulge your angst. Having a few laughs with others from your own culture will help to put things in perspective and give you the energy you may need at that moment to carry on. |
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Sunrise at Fire Island, New York, U.S.A.
© Stephen Braun |
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