Introduction to
Culture Shock
Learning how to manage culture shock and the common negative consequences
Introduction
The often-unexpected contrast between idealised expectations of studying overseas and the reality of practical daily life challenges frequently results in an experience called culture shock. This is not inevitably a serious issue, but if not anticipated and managed, can lead to a more potentially negative experience known as culture clash. Furthermore, culture clash can then trigger serious emotional reactions such as a sense of disorientation, isolation, a decline in motivation, loneliness, homesickness, and a feeling of anxiety.
Consequently, this course attempts to help students to realistically anticipate the typical causes of initial culture shock and explore practical strategies to reduce possible negative consequences, while also minimising any threat of drifting towards culture clash. The five themes covered on this course are:
Anticipating the process of culture shock and the primary causes
Exploring ways to identify key symptoms
Evaluating interventions to manage challenges arising from the experience
Developing practical strategies for avoiding culture clash
Learning simple actions that promote adjustment to the host cultural context
The Course Aim
To develop an understanding of the causes of culture shock in order to manage the negative consequences
The Course Objective
By the end of this course, students should be able to analyse the causes of culture shock to limit the possibility of isolation, homesickness, and stress.
The Key Learning Outcomes
The primary learning outcomes focus on an ability to do the following:
Identify the primary causes of culture shock in an international learning context
Analyse the early symptoms of culture shock to block a drift towards culture clash
Anticipate the consequences in relation to both academic and lifestyle encounters
Explore ways to manage key consequences such as disorientation, isolation, homesickness, and stress
Investigate positive strategies to integrate successfully into the new host learning context
Evaluate approaches to develop a balanced lifestyle and effective self-management skills
See also:
Academic Expectations to learn how to adapt to contrasting cross-cultural learning expectations