Cultural shock occurs when living in a culture different from one's own and can cause physical or emotional discomfort. It happens in stages including a honeymoon period, frustration with the new culture, adjustment, mastery of the new culture, reverse culture shock upon returning home, and eventual acceptance and integration. Understanding the stages and symptoms of cultural shock, which include isolation, homesickness, and lack of confidence, can help expatriates and travelers adjust to a new place.

1. Cultural Shock: Impact
on Expatriates
P R ESENTED BY:
DE E P ESH S I N GH ( 2 0 0 9IPG14)
P R ABHAT AG R AWAL ( 2 0 0 9IPG45)
SA M A RTH M A N I SH ( 2 0 0 9IPG68)
A N KUA R R AT WAYA ( 2 0 0 9IPH123)

2. Cultural Shock
A Physical or Emotional discomfort or anxiety that one suffer when coming to live in another
country or a place that is different from the place of origin .
“As the twentieth century ends, commerce and culture are coming closer together. The
distinction between life and art has been eroded by fifty years of enhanced communications,
ever-improving reproduction technologies and increasing ”
--Stephen Bayley (British Design & Cultural critic and Author)

3. Symptoms of Cultural shock
• Isolation and frustration
• Sleeping a lot
• Home sickness
• Loneliness
• Loss of identity
• Lack of confidence

4. Cultural Shock Stages
• Honeymoon Stage
• Frustration or Crisis stage
• Adjustment Stage
• Mastery Stage
• Reverse Cultural Shock Stage
• Acceptance, Integration & Adjustment Stage

5. Cultural Shock Stages
Honeymoon Stages
• Excitement , Adventurous
• Could last 6 months
• Initial Impression
Frustration
• Homesickness
• Irritation & Anger
• Family support

6. Cultural Shock Stages
Adjustment
• Learning things
• Interaction with people
• Liking foods, culture
Mastery
• Adaptation of culture &tradition
• Learn local language
• No more boring life
• Local friends

7. Cultural Shock Stages
Reverse Cultural Shock
• Returning home
• Compare things around
• Do not like to involve much
Acceptance & Integration
• Tries to teach others
• Start liking local company
• Life becomes normal

8. Cultural Shock Stages
6
Honeymoon Stage Integration & Acceptance
5
Mastery
4
Adjustment
3
2
Frustration Reverse Shock
1
0
6 Months 12 Months 18 Months 24 Months

9. Example:
Source: http://www.settlinng.jigsy.com/culture

10. Practical examples of culture shock:
• The marriage of Pharmacia AB, a respected drugs company that was weak in the United States,
and Upjohn Co., a proud Midwestern firm that needed more international business and a new
product line, looked good. Putting the merger into practice proved a lot harder.
• In Paris, when out for a morning walk you say "Bonjour!" to everyone you pass and get a cheery
"Bonjour!" in return. Do that in New York and people will scurry away from you lest they be
shot or molested.
• Eye contact for prolonged time is considered rude in Asia, while in the American corporate
environment it is considered a precursor to a confident person.

11. Reverse Culture Shock:
• Returning to one's home culture after growing accustomed to a new one can produce the same
effects as described above. This results from the psychosomatic and psychological
consequences of the readjustment process to the primary culture.
• This phenomenon, the reactions that members of the re-entered culture exhibit toward the re-
entrant, and the inevitability of the two are encapsulated in the saying "you can't go home
again," first coined by Thomas Wolfe in his book of the same title.

12. Question?

13. Thank You!