Culture shock is a term that is normally used to explain the feelings and emotions of uncertainty that people experience when they are introduced in a new culture that is different from their culture. Culture shock is common among many people. It is common among refugees, foreign students and immigrants among others. Every student experiences cultural shock during their transition to the college level of education which is perceived to be a new environment.
There are five many stages of culture shock. The first stage is the honeymoon stage characterized by anticipation, curiosity, and positivity on the new environment. The next stage is irritability or hostility whereby one starts developing inferior feelings based on the difference noted. Frustrations are also evident in the new culture. The third stage of culture shock is known as the gradual adjustment stage. In this stage, one becomes more relaxed and develops an objective perspective of his/her experience of the new environment. The fourth stage is known as the adaptation of biculturalism. It is characterized by sensitivity to the host culture and development of a sense of belonging ( Ting-Toomey & Chung, 2005) . The final stage of culture is the re-entry shock stage. In this stage, one feels that the new experience was not their expectation after going back to the original culture.
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The level in which one will move from one stage to another is not the same and depends on individuals. The factors that determine how fast one will move from one stage to another include education level, personality, mental health, support systems and familiarization with language. Several symptoms can tell whether is one is experiencing culture shock they include, feelings of isolation, boredom, irritation, withdrawal, longing for the original culture, a lot of sleep and suffering from body aches and pain.
Reference
Ting-Toomey, S., & Chung, L. C. (2005). Understanding intercultural communication . New
York: Oxford University Press.
