Cultural shock occurs when living in a new country with different traditions, customs, rules, and language. It is inevitable as familiar signs and symbols are lost. Common causes of culture shock include difficulties with food, transportation, religion, rules, and language barriers. Culture shock can cause feelings of anxiety, frustration, and loneliness. However, with awareness and strategies like focusing on understanding the new culture rather than criticism, keeping an open mind, and maintaining hobbies, the effects of culture shock can be reduced. Living in a new culture is a challenge but can be a transformative experience if one prepares themselves for the cultural differences.

1. CULTURAL SHOCK
I had experienced living in another countries but I consider, because of my
personality, it has not been very complicated. Nevertheless, I recognized there were
some situations quite difficult for me, such to get accustomed to foods and transport.
Cultural shock occurs soon or later, when a human being lives in another country with
new traditions, costumes, rules, religion, organization and language. It is inevitable to
become cultural shock but following some strategies, its impact could be reduced.
According to Berg, “Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from
losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse” (142). There are some
traditions that cannot be easy to be understood for a person living in a new country. I
remember, for example, in Sweden, there was an university where the new students
must walk with a piece of wood hanging on their neck, when they were for the first time
at the university. I founded it very stupid but it was a part of the traditions there. One
costume that could cause disappointment is the time and way of eating. In Costa Rica,
people use to have warm lunch normally at 12:00 m.d. but in some european countries,
they eat a cold lunch or not lunch at all. Religion is a very strong matter. If you are
catholic person and must live in a Muslim country, for example, where women walk with
a veil covering their faces, it could be a big shock for you. Regarding rules, in some
European countries, a pedestrian cannot cross the street when traffic light is red.
People cross the street until it changes to green. In some latinamerican countries,
people are not accustomed to wait traffic lights change. They cross the street if traffic

2. light is red or green. Language is one of the main reasons why culture shock happen. If
you cannot communicate, you will feel immediately frustrated, alone and sad.
According to Berg, “Individuals differ greatly in the degree in which culture shock
affects them” (143). Cultural Shock can cause different effects such of anxiety,
frustration, stress, sickness, loneliness and desperation. A person accustomed to take
high decisions in a normal role in the native country, suddenly cannot properly behave
or even express in basic and normal situations in a new country such meeting people,
giving gifts, shopping, accepting or refusing invitations, etc. Some consequences of a
cultural shock in human being are desire to return home, rejecting rules of the new
culture, norms, people, food, having an increased irritability, constantly complains,
disinterest in learning the language, concern about being robbed or cheated, rejection
to be with natives, etc.
The process of cultural shock has four phases. the first one is a sensation of
beauty: everything will be very nice. The second phase will be a feeling of loneliness
and reject of everything related with the new culture: food, people, clothes, etc. The
third phase is like a sensation of acceptance of the new culture and the fourth phase is a
completely adaptation and acceptance of the new culture.
Cultural shock is inevitable but it is possible to overcome it with some strategies.
First, it would be necessary to be conscious about the possible effects and apply some
realistic solutions in advanced. The objective is to suffer as less as possible and try to
change this situation to a positive one. It is not related with mature or strength, but with

3. the capacity of accepting the new culture and getting adjust to it. Try to find in which
phase you are and use some of the following advices properly. First of all is very
important to recognize and reject ethnocentric perspectives and learn to accept when
something is different to the original culture. Second, it’s necessary to focus all
attitudes on understanding other culture rather than criticize it superficially. If you
concentrate on what you can control and not on what you can change, you are not
going to waste your time. Giving little importance to insignificant problems, could save
your energy to enjoy the new culture. A very good way to reduce stress or anxiety
causing for living in a new culture is doing sports or going out. Take time to reflect
personally and write feelings, thoughts and frustrations in a journal, could be also a
way to manage cultural shock.
If a person is in a new country, cultural shock must to be face soon or later. To
understand and respect new traditions, costumes, rules, religion, organization and
language will be a challenge. If someone want to live the experience of living in a new
country, must prepared himself and try to get informed as much as possible about
traditions and way of life of the new country, before departure. If a change is coming
and there are preparation, every problem could be overcame during a stay in a new
culture. This experience could transform lifes through a new language and a new
world.
Bibliography:
Oberg, Kalervo. (1960). “Culture Shock: Adjustment to New Cultural Environments.”
Practical Anthropology. Web: 08 Aug. 2014.