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The realization that our way of life isn’t ubiquitous can throw our disposition out of joint when immersed in a new culture…

Culture shock is the phenomenon of stress and anxiety arising from feeling displaced in a new culture. The realization that our way of life isn’t ubiquitous can throw our disposition out of joint when immersed in a new culture; we may feel intimidated and downright repulsed by the customs and cultural norms of another culture in the early stages of acclimating to it.

The Canadian anthropologist Kalervo Oberg came up with five common stages to describe the process of culture shock.

1. Honeymoon stage: You are bedazzled by your newfound ecumenical concupiscence you sublunary, terraqueous lecher.
2. Hostility: M a s s  c o n f u s I o n – The new culture overwhelms you when trying to integrate to it, the beginning of a steep social learning curve.
3. Reintegration: You’re starting to get a feel for the new culture, understanding it and beginning to become a part of it yourself.
4. Adjustment: You’ve made strides in finding your way and are comfortable in the new culture; able to discern the social edicts of both cultures.
5. Interdependence: You have successfully integrated into the new culture and are able to coexist with the origin culture.

There is also sometimes the phenomenon of reverse culture shock when returning to your culture of origin. This can be characterized by increased stress and anxiety upon re-entry to your original culture with the perspective instilled by the new culture and can have physical and psychological symptoms including a disconnect with people and depression caused by a conflict of new cultural values and norms.

~ G.G. May 2024

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