CULTURAL SOUP

In my previous blogs(World English) I referred a lot to language varieties, how diverse cultures came across and shared the same community, the same language, how they were  ‘blended’(see the blog entitled “Blends”).It would be quite natural to think that they had to overcome the stages of  cultural shock.

In the podcast episode entitled “Cultural Soup”Lynn describes the concept of “Culture shock”, shows ways how to recognize it and how to overcome it.I myself happened to live in Moscow for about a year and I overcame the same stages.

Cultural shock is a state of bewilderment, reaction to differents. It takes time to put up with barriers.

There exist four stages of cultural shock. The first stage is “The Honeymoon” stage, when everything is  new and exciting and people are tempt to experience. During the first month I myself was at the honeymoon stage when everything was  alluring.

The second stage is the “Hostile Stage”which refers to everyday life, how to get along, how to fit yourself to the new society.People get angry at this stage, they just may think that the hosts are “monsters”.

Everything was the same with me. I had to attend a Russian school, get acquainted with those “monsters”.

The third stage is an “Integration Stage ” or it can be called an acceptance phase or assimilation.They may find good in bad, their outlook is balanced and  I came to accept Russians as common people but not “monsters” as I used to. I began to plan my future, I was intending to enter  Lomonosov University, I had lots of friends etc .

And the last stage is called “Reverse Cultural Shock”when people return and feel that being at home is not good, the society has changed, everything seems strange to them, they just prefer to return back. When after a year I returned to Yerevan, believe me or not, I underwent the reverse stage. My plans had to be changed, Lomonosov University had to be changed for YSU. It wasn’t so easy to take that step but fortunately it didn’t cause me too much harm.

Lynn also gives advice how to overcome the stages.

Before turning to diverse cultures its recommendable to remember that people  have human needs which are universal. She recommends becoming a cultural explorer and trying  to find out the origin of the people you live among. It’s good to be objective, find a place to go, interact with people, find people who want to learn about your culture.It’s better to relieve stress by doing physical activity or visiting a church than by turning to alchohol.

Every minute detail can cause a cultural shock: started with transportation ended with toilets.

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 A blog of a Canadian  ESL teacher in Korea shows how she underwent  a cultural skock when she saw toilets dug in the ground, only feet to put on. Besides, in Canada public toilets are free  and it was another shock to pay for it. (Toilets are called John in Canada).

Another podcast episode is an interview of David Peach with a missionier La Moin Cunningham and the main discussion was on how culture shock can effect a missionary and how friends back homa can communicate with missioniers to help them through their time of culture shock  and culture fatigue.

La Moin Cunningham is in the opinion that missioniers are humans, they all have emotions.

Though they may be paid well, they still struggle with cultural fatigue. The culture shock is deeper when one goes from a developed country to an underdeveloped one. To relieve the stress someone is needed to comfort.She just advises not to judge missioniers as their state of being frustrated doesn’t have anything to do with spirituality.

PLEASE BE CURIOUS BUT NOT SERIOUS!