Culture shock has many stages. Each stage can be ongoing or appear only at certain times. The first stage is the incubation stage. In this first stage, the new arrival may feel euphoric and be pleased by all of the new things encountered. This time is called the “honeymoon” stage, as everything encountered is new and exciting.
Afterwards, the second stage presents itself. A person may encounter some difficult times and crises in daily life. For example, communication difficulties may occur such as not being understood. In this stage, there may be feelings of discontent, impatience, anger, sadness, and feeling incompetence, this happens when a person is trying to adapt to a new culture that is very different from the culture of origin. Transition between the old methods and those of the new country is a difficult process and takes time to complete. During the transition, there can be strong feelings of dissatisfaction.
The third stage is characterized by gaining some understanding of the new culture. A new feeling of pleasure and sense of humor may be experienced. One may start to feel a certain psychological balance. The new arrival may not feel as lost and starts to have a feeling of direction. The individual is more familiar with the environment and wants to belong. This initiates an evaluation of the old ways versus those of the new.
In the forth stage, the person realizes that the culture has good and bad things to offer. This stage can be one of double integration or triple integration depending on the number of cultures that the person has to process. This integration is accompanied by a more solid feeling of belonging. The person starts to define him/herself and establish goals for living.
The fifth stage is the stage that is called the “re-entry shock..” this occurs when a return to the country of origin is made. One may fin that things are no longer the same. For example, some of the newly acquired customs are not in use in the old culture.
These stages are present at different times and each person has their own way of reacting in the stages of culture shock. As a consequence, some stages will be longer and more difficult than others. Many factors contribute to the duration and effects of culture shock. For example, the individual’s state of mental health, type of personality, previous experiences, socio-economic conditions, familiarity with the language, family and/or social support systems,and level of education.
文化冲击有许多阶段。 每个阶段可以是持续,或只是在某时出现。第一阶段是初级阶段。 在此阶段,人也许为新到地方感到欣快、为遇到的所有的新事物而欢欣鼓舞。 因为遇到的一切是新的和扣人心弦的,亦称“蜜月”阶段。
第二阶段提出自己。 人在日常生活中也许遇到一些困难和危机。 例如,沟通困难,例如也许发生不被了解的情况。 在这个阶段,当人设法适应文化起源不同的新的文化时,也许会发牢骚,出现心急、愤怒、悲伤的感觉,并且感觉无能力。 旧有和新到的国家不同文化之间的适应调和的过渡,是一个困难的过程,并且需要时间来完成。 在过渡期间,人可能出现强烈的不满情绪。
第三阶段为对新的文化的理解阶段。 人也许产生一种新的乐趣和幽默感,也许开始感觉有些心理平衡,可能不再迷失,并且开始有了方向的感觉。渐渐对环境熟悉起来,并且希望融入到新环境中去。 这是用旧有文化理解那些新文化的阶段。
第四阶段,人开始意识到文化有好和坏两个方面。 这个阶段是以双重或多重文化综合考量的基础上来理解的阶段。 人产生一种更强烈的归属感,开始定义他/她自己并且开始找到生活的目标。
第五阶段是称“再冲击阶段”。 这发生在人回到原来的国家时。人会发现原来国家的现有文化与他/她离开时比,不再相同。 例如,某些新出现的风俗习惯在其所知的老文化中是不曾出现的。
文化冲击的这些阶段是存在于不同的时刻,并且每个人有他们自己的方式引起文化冲击。 结果,有些阶段比其他长且困难。 许多因素影响着文化冲击的时间和作用。 例如,个体的精神健康状况、个性,早先经验、社会经济条件、语言的熟练程度、家庭和社会支持系统和教育水平。
Culture shock is an occupational disease for people who have been sudenly transplanted abroad.Like most ailments,it has its own symptoms and a cure.
Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse.
Those signs include the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the situation of daily life:when to shanke hands and what to say when we meet people,when and how to give tips,how to make purchases,when to accept and refuse invitations,when to take statements seriously and when not.