Culture Shock

Moving to a new country, where we can experience an unfamiliar culture can be wonderful in so many ways!  If we immerse ourselves in our new surroundings, we encounter new events, beliefs, attitudes, and ways of being.  However, adjusting to another culture can also be difficult – sometimes even painful. We may also have negative thoughts and feelings, such as homesickness, confusion, frustration, and loneliness. We may feel like an outsider in our new setting, and sometimes we may even directly experience prejudices or assumptions that contribute to a sense that we do not belong.  As an international student, you may be thinking – yes, I do feel that way!

This is culture shock.  And it is a predictable and usual response to contact with new ways of thinking and doing. It doesn’t have to happen immediately. When we first arrive, in fact, we are often so excited to be here that we enjoy everything about our new setting. But over time, culture shock can build from small difficulties that eventually feel overwhelming (Kohl, 1984). For some, this is a minor difficulty, but for others, it can feel like our identity is under attack, and we can struggle to thrive in our new environment.

So, what is culture?  And why is it sometimes tricky to navigate cultural differences?

Culture has two parts, really.  The parts that we see, hear, or experience – such as language, food, clothing – and the parts that are underneath, that we don’t immediately notice or always understand.  These are the “unwritten rules of the social game” – those things that are often communicated unconsciously, based on values or beliefs, and on the common experiences that members of that culture share. We are all products of our own culture, and we may find that we notice and judge others according to our own cultural lens, especially regarding these deeper level social norms.

The first step in cultural adjustment is just noticing the differences, because it is only when we are away from own culture, that we really pay attention.  Ways of thinking and behaving at home seem obvious – it is the contrast that feels surprising or uncomfortable. 

Where might you notice cultural differences?

• Facial expressions – how often people smile, frown, or make eye contact.
• Social interactions – people may not make friends or plan social events in the same way.
• Classroom norms – the roles that the instructor and the students play and how they interact with one another.
• Physical distance – there may be different norms around how close people stand, how they touch others (for example, shaking hands or kissing acquaintances), facing others or sitting in their presence.
• What might help you to adjust to this new environment and feel comfortable encountering these cultural differences?

 While you can read about cultural differences and learn by observation, it is often quickest and easiest to go to a cultural informant; that is, someone who knows the culture well and who can take time to explain it to you.  On campus, a good place to start these connections is through International Student Services or the Student Success Centre.