1、Surviving among aliens:Managing Culture Shock.Culture ShockWho am I?How to adapt to an international exchange experience successfully?.Purpose:1.What is culture Shock?SymptomsStages Causes2.How to cope with it?General strategiesObserve&modify your own ways of doing thingsVerbal&non-verbal communicat
2、ion styleTips for Finland.What is culture Shock?“Cultural shock is caused by the anxiety resulting from losing all our familiar signs and symbols when we move to a new environment”(Oberg,1958).Lack of direction Not knowing:What to do?How to do things?When to do things?.What is culture Shock?Physical
3、 symptoms headaches,fatigue,loss of appetite,diarrheaBehaviour towards people1.Dont speak the language impatient,exasperated2.Systems of work(Differ/Wrong)anger,frustration3.Aggression/Racism towards locals rude,dirty,lazy“However Opportunities!Learn new perspectives 1.Develop better understanding o
4、f yourself.Cause of Culture Shock?BUT:Appropriate behaviour can be learned observation,asking locals and other foreigners Conflict and uncertainty between our values/rules and those of the new culture anxiety cultural shock.Stages of Culture shock StageSignsCoping StrategiesHoneymoon(2-8 weeks)Disin
5、tegration(2-3 months)new experiences are exciting be a tourist feel fortunate for having the opportunity to move abroad.send postcards home people are friendly and you smile a lot,youre in control make contacts in clubs and associations,sign up for some activities your own sense of culture is not th
6、reatened join a language course daily frustrations can build into disillusionment look after yourself,exercise,avoid alcohol the good things of home loom large get out,be with people continue language practice keep busy set daily goals and make the effort to achieve them.Stages of Culture shock Stag
7、eSignsCoping StrategiesReintegration(3-6 months)Becoming Functional(6 months)a sense of standing up to the things and people that are frustrating you build your network of friends take that holiday you booked continue language study determination to work things out and get things done spend time wit
8、h people who enjoy being there keep writing to people back home feel in control and positive again about where you are try new things,and explore the culture self-understanding and more tolerance of others practice the language a sense of comfort operating in the host culture youre helping others ge
9、t through their adjustments do things you intended to do while in this country before its time to leave.Final Stage of Culture shockStageSignsCoping StrategiesAcceptance(9 months)youre more successful in communications with locals enjoying being where you are adept at finding things no longer stereo
10、typing understanding local customs maintain key relationships.How to cope with it?Remember that despite being different,the others are probably being friendly to you in their own way.Understand that you will have to change your familiar ways in order to integrate.learning about how to communicate is
11、 important .Differences in Communication StylesVERBAL COMMUNICATIONNON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONStart observing how locals act.”When in Rome,do as the Romans do.”.Differences in Communication Styles1.Ways of Speaking:expressiveness,emotion,animation,intimacy in address,volume2.Who speaks?monologue vs.dia
12、logue,female vs.male,superior vs.subordinate 3.Structuring interaction:starting a conversation,appropriate topic,taking turns,ending a conversation4.Maintaining a conversation:opinions,questioning,joking5.Communication Styles:direct vs.indirectVERBAL COMMUNICATION.Differences in Communication Styles
13、1.Body language:gesturing,dress2.Eye contact:when appropriate/inappropriate3.Space:personal space,homes4.Touch:who can touch whom,where5.Paralanguage:tone,pitch,stress,speed,superiority/inferiority,sarcasm6.Attitudes towards timePreparation for talking,amount of time talked,silenceHow much is enough
14、 or too much?NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION.Cultural Tips for Finland(from Lewis,R.When Cultures Collide)Be frank and open.Get to the point.Be modest and low key.Do not talk too fast or interrupt.Use first names,dress casually and be relaxed about protocol and hierarchy.Eat lunch quickly.Cultural Tips for
15、 Finland(from Lewis,R.When Cultures Collide)Give Finns physical and mental space.Be punctual.Comply with promises.Listen carefully to what Finns say its not much,but they mean it.Enjoy shared silences.Any questions-Biculturalism.V+D+S=R Vision of future Dissatisfaction with the current situation Knowledge of the first steps to take Resistance to change Try to trace every strange action to its underlying values.
