The document presents cross-cultural adaptation theory, which outlines the process individuals undergo when adapting to new cultural environments, highlighting stages such as enculturation, acculturation, and deculturation. It describes the dynamic interactions between stress, adaptation, and growth, indicating how these experiences foster psychological health and intercultural identity. Ultimately, it emphasizes that cross-cultural adaptation is a natural and collaborative process that occurs through social engagement and communication.

1. CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION
THEORY

3. INTRODUCTION OF
THEORY• DESCRIBES THE PROCESS OF CROSS-
CULTURAL ADAPTATION AS IT
UNFOLDS OVER TIME
• EXPLAINS THE STRUCTURE OF THIS
PROCESS
• IT IS BASED ON THREE
ASSUMPTIONS (“OPEN-SYSTEMS”)
1. HUMANS HAVE AN INHERENT
DRIVE TO ADAPT AND GROW
2. ADAPTATION TO ONE’S
SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT OCCURS
THROUGH COMMUNICATION
3. ADAPTATION IS A COMPLEX
AND DYNAMIC PROCESS

5. THE PROCESS OF CROSS-CULTURAL
ADAPTATION
CULTURE IS DEFINED AS:
an imprinted pattern of knowledge,
attitudes, values, perceptions and a set of
behaviors that permeate all life activities
Culture has a pervasive role in
shaping individual behavior
Enculturation: The process by which a
person is socialized into his or her
primary culture, receiving primary
cultural knowledge, awareness, and
values.
ACCULTURATION: the process of
learning and acquiring the elements of
the host culture
UNLEARNING/DECULTURATION:
losing or putting aside some of the old
cultural habits / new responses are
adopted in situations that previously
would have evoked old ones

6. COMMUNCATE1
To become competent in the
host communication system,
in turn, requires
- active participation in the
interpersonal and mass
communication processes of
the local community.
- Just as we cannot learn to
swim without actually
plunging into the water, we
cannot truly learn to
communicate without
actually communicating. .

7. THE STRESS-ADAPTATION-GROWTH DYNAMIC
Adaptation: stress is temporary; it leads to adaptation
because students strive to meet and manage the challenge
by acting on and responding to the host environment
Growth: the stress-adaptation experiences bring about
change and growth
internal transformation
 creative responses to new circumstances
 a crisis once managed by the students presents an
opportunity for a strengthening of their coping abilities

8. THE STRESS-ADAPTATION-GROWTH DYNAMIC
 Students find themselves in a state of dynamic stress-
adaptation, which is change from time to time.
 Dialectic relationship between push and pull, or
engagement and disengagement in the psychological
movements of students
 Even those who interact with the natives with the intention
of confining themselves to only superficial relationships
are likely to become – given sufficient time – at least
adapted to the host culture “in spite of themselves”

9. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ADAPTATION (42 N)
Afghanistan Sudan
Indi
a
Liby
a
Thailan
d
Singapor
e
Yeme
n
Egypt Lao
s
Pakistan
Tanzani
a
Benin
Indonesia
Keny
a
Zimbabw
e
Saudi
Arabia
Ugand
a
ColombiaSeneg
al
Nigeria
South
AfricaEthiopi
a

10. ADAPTATION STAGES
1. The first stage of cultural adaptation is called
the honeymoon stage.
2- The second stage tends to start three to four
months after arrival. It is characterized by the
feeling of culture shock,
3-Adjustment phase. This is where they learn to accept the
culture and to change their negative attitude to a positive
one
4-Acceptance and Adaptation phase. This is where they will feel
at home and become involved in activities and may enjoy some
of that countries customs.

11. THE STRUCTURE OF CROSS-CULTURAL
ADAPTATION
•PERSONAL COMMUNICATION
• HOST COMMUNICATION
COMPETENCE
• SOCIAL COMMUNICATION
1. HOST INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
2. HOST MASS
COMMUNICATION
3. ETHNIC INTERPERSONAL
AND
MASS COMMUNICATION
SYSTEMS

12. Intercultural
TransformationOUTCOMES OF THE ADAPTATION PROCESS
1. INCREASED FUNCTIONAL FITNESS: synchrony
between students’ internal responses and the external
demands in the host environment
2. PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH: ability to communicate and
the accompanying functional fitness in the host society /
psychological well-being
3. INTERCULTURAL IDENTITY: Become more flexible in
accepting some of values and traditions that exist in the
new culture even if it is conflict with his original culture

13. CONCLUSION
This theory portrays cross-cultural adaptation as a
collaborative effort in which a students and a receiving
environment are engaged in a joint venture
Cross-cultural adaptation is ultimately the gift of the
individuals
Cross-cultural adaptation is not an extraordinary
phenomenon that only exceptional individuals can
achieve. Rather, it is simply an incident of the normal
human mutability manifesting itself to the work of
ordinary people “stretching” themselves out of the old
and familiar