Dennis White, Ph.D. dkwhite@itol yeoresources

1. The Rotary Youth Exchange Experience: Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock Dennis White, Ph.D. dkwhite@itol.com www.yeoresources.org

2. Culture An integrated system of learned behavior patterns that are characteristic of any given society. It refers to the total way of life, including how people think, feel and behave.

3. Culture Shock The profound sense of disorientation and discomfort that comes with extended travel or living in a foreign culture markedly different from one’s own. Culture Shock.docThe Middle Wave of Culture Shock.doc

4. Metaphorically, culture is the lens through which we view the world.

5. You can’t trust your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. Mark Twain

10. What is culture? • An integrated system of learned behavior patterns that are characteristic of any given society. It refers to the total way of life, including how people think, feel and behave.

11. Ethnocentrism: The universal tendency for any culture to see its own values and practices as natural and correct.

12. Ethnocentrism: All cultures are ethnocentric - and must be to impart their values to their members.

13. The most common ethnocentric assumption is that we can translate literally from one language to another, which leads to both humorous and serious mistakes.

14. What do they mean? In a Bangkok dry cleaner's: Drop your trousers here for best results. • In a Norwegian cocktail lounge: • Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.

15. Dr. No We don’t want a doctor Titanic Ship Outta Luck!

16. In Mexico it was translated as “The Rebel Novice Nun” The Sound of Music In the Czech Republic it was translated as “Santa Is A Pervert” Bad Santa In China it was translated as “One Night, Big Belly” Knocked Up In Venezuela it was translated as “Vaselina” Grease

17. Advertising translations: In China, Pepsi’s slogan “come alive with Pepsi” became “Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead”. In Latin America Chevrolet’s new car the “Nova” Translated into Spanish as “No Va” (doesn’t go) And my favorite, the Swedish maker of the vacuum Electrolux came up with the American slogan…

18. “Nothing sucks like Electrolux!”

19. At first we will be dependent upon translators – sometimes a risky business

21. Sometimes, even when we are trying, pronunciation leads to problems!

23. What is Ethnocentrism? • The universal tendency for any culture to see its own values and practices as natural and correct. • What is Ethnorelativism? • The acquired (learned) ability to see many values and behaviors as cultural rather than universal. Not right, not wrong, just different. One World or Many.doc

24. In a new culture everything is harder

25. Our own culture, or sub-culture, comes to us as naturally and unconsciously as our handedness. We generally don’t think about what hand we will use to write our names. Changing our cultural point of view is about as hard as changing our handedness. Both are possible, but neither is easy.

26. Handwriting exercise

27. The Cultural Iceberg Conscious behaviors 1/8th above the surface Unconscious beliefs and values 7/8ths below the surface

28. Advice often mistakenly given to American Outbound students (from an ethnocentric point of view):Just be yourself!

29. Consider the new culture to be an iceberg

30. You are the Titanic!!! (Ship Outta Luck!)

31. “Culture Shock takes me outside my comfort zone.” Exchange student journal, 2 months

32. Personal Examples • Holding hands • Crossing the street • Uneven floor surfaces

33. Culture Shock The profound sense of disorientation and discomfort that comes with extended travel or living in a foreign culture markedly different from one’s own.

34. Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism Culture Shock.doc The Middle Wave of Culture Shock.doc

35. TypicalCulture Shock Cycle Rotary Youth Exchange Months Pre-Departure 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Return …... Normal Level of Feelings Adapted from a model by Robert Kohls

36. 4 1 3 2

37. Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism

38. Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism

39. Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism

40. Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism

41. Examples ofInitial Enthusiasm and Excitement • Trying any food (once!)? • Saying “yes” to almost any suggested activity • Wanting to go and see as many places as possible • Finding many similarities with things back home • Politely and pleasantly smiling and saying “yes” whether you understand or not • Taking lots of pictures • Frequently sharing your new and exciting experiences back home

42. Examples ofIrritability and Negativism • Why don’t they ever hug or touch one another? • Why do they always hug and touch one another? • Why don’t they make their street signs easier to read?

44. Examples ofIrritability and Negativism • If they mean “no” why don’t they say “no”? • Why don’t they just tell me what something costs? • Why can’t anyone stand in line? • Why do they drive so fast? • Forcing a smile with clenched teeth when you don’t understand what is going on. • Complaining about your discomfort to sympathetic people back home, or other inbounds in country • Withdrawing

45. If the easiest response to the Irritability and negativism stage is to find comfort with other Inbounds or electronically with friends and family at home, the student may get stuck going back and forth from stage one to two, back and forth

46. Stages of Culture Shock: Initial enthusiasm and excitement Irritability and negativism Gradual adjustment and adaptation Integration and bi-culturalism

47. Examples ofGradual Adjustment and Adaptation • Learning the language. • Finding yourself dreaming in the host language. • Finding yourself unable to precisely explain a concept you have learned to someone back home using English. • Insisting people speak to you in the host language rather than English • Going to host parents and local Rotarians with problems rather than people back home. • Speaking with other Inbounds in the host language rather than English • Becoming involved in school or community activities

48. Enculturation: The successful adoption of the behavior patterns and customs of the surrounding culture. (also called acculturation, immersion, assimilation, adaptation)

49. Examples ofIntegration and Bi-Culturalism • Not having to translate in your head first. • Traveling across town by bus, making a purchase, meeting friends in the host language and no one asks “where are you from”? • Engaging in host culture practices without thinking: - Eating with fingers, or a knife and fork or chop sticks - Standing close, or distant, in line with host customs and feeling comfortable. • Accepting and appreciating fundamentally different cultural values as just that – different not right or wrong. • Telling people back home – I’m not ready – you can’t make me come back!

50. 4 1 3 2