Cross-Cultural Conflict

& Adjustment
A fish out of water
This expression has been used to describe someone
who is living in a new culture.
Length of stay: How long will the person be in a new
country?
Language and cultural background: How similar are the
language and culture of the new country to the
persons native language and culture?
Language and cultural knowledge: How well does the
newcomer speak the language and understand the
culture of the new country?
Personality: How flexible and tolerant is the
newcomer?
Relationships with others: How much support from
either family or friends does the newcomer have?
Financial situation: What financial resources does the
person have?
Job: Does the newcomer have a job? Is it a simpler
job than the one the person had in his/her native
country?
Age: How old is the person?
Degree of ethnocentrism: How ethnocentric is the
newcomer? Does this person think that the new
culture is inferior to his or hers ? To what degree
does the newcomer consider everything in his/her
homeland to be normal and everything in the new
environment to be strange ?
The W-Curve Adjustment
How do you feel when you first come
to a new place?
Interested in new things
Eager to visit every place
Honeymoon Period
The new-comer is excited about everything in the
new culture.
He/She is elated to be experiencing a new culture.
And when do differences/ difficulties
happen???
Culture Shock

New problems occur.

The new-comer feels tired of struggling with new
environment/ cultures/ languages.
Time passes by
Initial Adjustment
The new-comer gets acquainted with daily life

He/She adapts to new environment and tries to

overcome trouble in his/her life.
 Depression:
o a medical condition in which a person
feels very sad and anxious and often has
physical symptoms such as sleeplessness.
o The state of feeling very sad without hope
Mental Isolation
The
new-comer may have a sense of not
completely belonging to another place.
Mental Isolation

Feelingalone
Depression
Fearing other people
Negative self-image
The new-comer can not express
himself/herself as well as he/she could in
his/her native language.
He/She tends to be lack of self-confidence
and finds it hard to get a job or study well.
Reasons
Lack of close family ties
Living alone
Difficulties in meeting new people due to
access issues, introverted personalities
Feelings of loss or grief
A mental health condition such as depression
or anxiety
Fear of rejection from others or feelings of
being different from society
Effects on Mental Health
Physicalsymptoms aches and pains,
headaches, illnesses or the worsening of
medical conditions
Mental health conditions increased risk of
depression, anxiety, paranoia or panic
attacks
Low energy tiredness or lack of
motivation
Acceptance and Integration
 Acceptance: the process of allowing
somebody to join something or be a member
of a group, willingness to accept an
unpleasant or difficult situation
Integration: feeling a sense of ease about
living in the new culture, bringing about a
feeling of self-assurance and a more
complete understanding of ones culture and
the new culture.
Individual Adjustment

Individuals experience the stage of

adjustment in different ways because of
different personalities, age groups,
languages, and support from families and
friends..
Re-entry Adjustment
Re-entry adjustment is simply the transition back into
ones home culture after living a time in another.

This process is usually shorter and less intensive than

any adjustment in a new culture.
The re-entry adjustment process
1) Acceptance 3) Return honeymoon 5) Re-intergration
and intergration in in in the native
Adjustment

the foreign culture the native country country

2) Return anxiety
in the 4) Re-entry shock in
foreign culture native country

Time
Acceptance and Integration

A routine has been established in the new

culture. The foreigner has accepted and is
pleasant with cultural differences
Return Anxiety

There may be confusion and emotional pain

about leaving the place because friendship
will have to be disrupted.
He/She may be nervous about going home.
Return Honeymoon
What these terms refer to involves the difficulties
you may face upon re-entering your own culture

Typically the more successful you are in immersing yourself

in the country and culture where you have just been, the
more difficult you will be while re-adjusting to your own
culture, and getting back into the routine of your old life.
You are likely to go through an adjustment process, similar
to what you might have experienced overseas. Initially, you
will probably be a little excited about backing to your own
country, seeing your friends and family once again. Yet, you
may quickly move out of this stage, as you realize that your
friends and family seem only mildly interested in hearing
about your experience overseas.
Also, things have changed , and you might feel a little out of
place in your own culture. You might get irritated and
impatient. Others may expect you to act the same as you
always did, but you have changed, and find it difficult to do
so.
What makes re-entry shock more difficult
than culture shock?

There are several reasons why re-entry shock

can sometimes be so much more intense
than culture shock.
The main reason is probably because it is not
expected.
Another factor that can make it difficult is
the lack of understanding and support of
those around you.
Re-integration in the Native Country

In this stage, the involved person realizes the

positive and negative aspects of both
countries and has a balanced perspective
about his/her experiences.
Different backgrounds and standards of thinking, being and
acting.
 Every culture has its distinct features to make it different
from another culture: Language, Physical Appearance,
Dress The Tip of Iceberg

Communication styles, beliefs, attitudes, values and

perception The Underneath of Iceberg Invisible
Rules Culture Shock
The involved person thinks it is simple to do a certain thing ,
it may cause serious misunderstanding among people from
different culture.
 He/She can not accommodate himself/herself to fulfil gaps
between cultures. Depression
Resolution
Better understanding the social, political and economic
environments of other cultures and their impact on personal
behaviour;

Gaining better awareness and appreciation of the similarities

and differences among different cultures;

Being flexible and realistic to an extent that could contribute to

resolving conflicts