The document discusses culture shock theory and identifies four common stages of culture shock: fun, flight, fight, and fit. It describes each stage, from the initial excitement of cultural differences during the "honeymoon" stage, to the distress of homesickness and confusion, to re-integration and eventual independence as one accepts and embraces their new cultural environment. Coping strategies like keeping in touch with home, focusing on controllable factors, seeking help, and comparing/contrasting cultures are presented to help overcome culture shock. The document argues that experiencing culture shock through these stages is a significant learning experience that increases cultural awareness.

1. Sweet Home Alabama?
An Exploration of Culture Shock Theory
Erin Weston, Georgia College & State University

2. • Anxiety and stress reactions that some
people experience when they live in a
cultural and linguistic environment
that is significantly different from
their own
What is Culture Shock?

3. • Four Common Stages:
• Fun
• Flight
• Fight
• Fit
Stage Based Models

5. • Differences are intriguing
• You’re excited, stimulated and enriched
• Still feeling close to everything back home
Honeymoon

6. • Differences create an impact
• Experiences don’t feel new, and start to get you down
• Confused, isolated and inadequate
• Realize that familiar support systems are not easily
accessible
Distress

7. • You start whining
• Dislike culture, food, language…reject it as inferior
• May develop prejudices and feel hostile to those around
you
• Start to idealize life back home
• You may quit/give up after this stage
Re-integration

8. • First stage in acceptance
• You begin to emerge from the “fog”
• Start to accept differences, more confident and better able
to cope
• Begin to appreciate where you are
Autonomy

9. • You are yourself again!
• You embrace your new cultural in a realistic light
• You feel comfortable, confident and able to make
decisions based on your preferences and values
• You understand the differences and similarities between
your own and the new culture
• You no longer feel alone and start to feel at home
Independence

10. Break Out Groups

11. • Understand that it is normal
• Keep in touch with home
• Focus on what you can control…don’t spend energy on
things you can’t change
• Don’t avoid major stressors, but also don’t make
mountains out of molehills
• Ask for help
• Keep a journal
• Compare and contrast
• Ask questions
How to overcome culture shock

12. • Immersion in a culture and moving through the stages of
culture shock is a significant learning experience
• It makes you more aware of aspects of your own culture
• It’s not a sign you’ve made a mistake or that you won’t
manage
Why it’s good

13. RELEVANCE IN ADVISING?
Do we see this in our students, co-workers, or
ourselves?

14. • Erin Weston Georgia College & State University
erin.weston@gcsu.edu 478.445.2634
• http://www.deborahswallow.com/
• http://www.studentsabroad.com/cultureshock.html
• Analysis of Impact of Culture Shock on Individual Psychology
Xia, Junzi.International Journal of Psychological Studies1. 2 (Dec
2009): 97-101.
• CULTURE SHOCK IN INTERCULTURAL
COMMUNICATION Flanja, Delia.Studia Universitatis Babes-
Bolyai. Studia Europaea, suppl. SPECIAL ISSUE ON THE
PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL..54. 4 (2009): 107-
124.
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