Culture shock - a term that we commonly use, yet unsure… of what exactly it is. When we mention the term ‘culture shock’, what comes to your mind? Hmm? A young lady, moving to the city and then following the ‘urban lifestyle’? Okay, what else? If you could think of other examples, good for you! But if you could not, we are more than happy to let you know. Believe us, culture shock is so much more than just that narrative of a girl getting bad influence from her new friends.
According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (9th edition), culture shock (n.) is a feeling of confusion and anxiety that somebody may feel when they live in or visit another country. Meanwhile McCluskey (2020) defines it as the feeling of disorientation when you are placed in an unfamiliar culture, way of life or set of attitudes. As an example, it can occur because of the differences in the manners of speaking. A person who is used to indirect communication in their culture might have difficulties interacting with people from a culture that is used to direct communication. This often happens to travellers, expats and immigrants. Now, let’s experience culture shock with Amin, a Malaysian furthering his studies in France.
Just like any other person, Amin was so excited about studying in his dream country, France! It is where the Eiffel Tower is - the land of the fancy kwahsongs (croissants) and baguettes. It was like a dream-come-true and it felt.. surreal. The first month was the best phase of his life. He got to enjoy the new wind, new friends and even different types of dishes served for every meal of his day. Unlike in Malaysia, he could admit that this is the life he was born for - Amin in Paris! In the context of culture shock, this could be interpreted as the first stage, which is the Honeymoon period. Amin had no problem with the new faces and surroundings as he managed to recognize several similarities between his culture and theirs. His new acquaintances provided him hospitality and friendliness, so Amin was surely enjoying his life as a student while in France.
However, his honeymoon period didn’t last too long (nothing lasts forever, sobs). After a month, his honeymoon phase ended and he started to experience the actual phase of culture shock. He started to feel frustrated due to the uncomfortable situations involving him not being understood by the French. Once, he was at a cafe and wanted to order the new drink that was on the menu. Amin, being a beginner French speaker, is obviously new to pronouncing French words. The waitress could not understand him and he had to repeat himself three times. She also kept on correcting his pronunciations, and that made him feel frustrated and humiliated as the line behind him was getting longer due to his mispronunciations. It took him 15 minutes to order just a cup of cafe au lait and a piece of pan au chocolat. This is what we call the Frustration phase. It often happens to a person after one to three months living in an unfamiliar culture. In this phase, Amin started to feel homesick, missing home more than ever. The ability to just order by yelling from the table at a Mamak restaurant is something he could never get in France. Even the smallest things put him over the edge for weeks and at this point, Amin wished he could be in Malaysia, to be in the place where he'd grown up. As the saying goes, east and west, at home the best.
Months passed and he started to ponder. If he was going to stay in France and continue keeping his dreams alive, he had to do something about it. So, instead of moping around, he became more accepting and tried to learn and understand the French culture better. His French also improved and he is now able to communicate with the locals at ease with less to almost no correction needed. Therefore, Amin no longer has to spend 15 minutes ordering his favourite drink. This is the Adjustment stage where Amin is now trying to tolerate the differences between his culture and theirs. He also started to adjust to the French direct communication - which came as a culture shock to him as the Malaysians are not very frank (ocean) when speaking. He no longer takes it to heart when the locals correct his pronunciations. Instead, he just considers it as a learning experience. He realised that the French do that because they really take pride in their language. Day by day, he started to adapt to the French culture because when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Finally, Amin reached the last stage of culture shock; Acceptance. This is when Amin realised that he did not have to 100% acculturate into the French culture. Instead, he could still embrace the Malaysian in him while living among the French. All he needs to do is to understand and accept the differences and any similarities between the two cultures - the one he grew up in and the one he currently lives in. He started to feel better after he accepted the fact that cultural differences are bound to cause him difficulties and the only way to keep going, is by acknowledging that. He knew that it would be best for him to live his French life to the fullest instead of wasting his time stressing over it. Amin believed that if you cannot change it, might as well enjoy it because it is what it is.
To conclude, culture shock is real and it can happen to anyone. The one we explained focused mainly on the language aspect but other cultural aspects such as beliefs, religious practices, norms and values can also cause culture shock due to the major differences among cultures. Prepared or not, the possibility is always there. It is best to not freak out when you experience one. Take it the way Amin did - learn, adapt and accept. That is the beauty of cultures - they are meant to be understood and embraced. Till our next post, au revoir ~
References :
Hornby, A. (2015). Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (9th ed.). London, England: Oxford University Press.
McCluskey, L. 2020. Culture Shock Stages: Everything You Need To Know. Retrieved on February 9, 2021 from https://www.now-health.com/en/blog/culture-shock-stages/
Proofread by Ilyana Elisa & Illya-Wardina
Published by Muhammad Hadwan & Aisyah Hanim
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