Culture Resources
If you're interested in learning more about the cultural profile of where some newcomers may be coming from, check out the links below. Please remember that cultures are not set-in-stone and do not fully define how an individual may think, behave and react. They can still be a good resource to get a better understanding on different group perspectives. Different website below of have a different range of cultural profiles.- International Business Etiquettes, gestures, and country profiles and backgrounds: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/country-profiles.html
- Numerous cultural profiles and informative links: https://ethnomed.org/culture
- Hofstede Cultural Dimentions compared between countries: http://geert-hofstede.com/countries.html
Cross-Cultural Transition
A major part of helping newcomers resettle into a new environment is understanding culture and transition. The purpose of this page is to give volunteers a preview of some of the research and general experiences of cross-culture transitions.
Everyone experiences transition at multiple points in their life. Some may be small and more common such as graduating from school or getting a new job, and others may be bigger, with more risks, such as moving to a different house – or even a different culture. Models and theories of transition have been based on Kubler-Ross’s stages of acceptance and John Fisher’s process of personal transition.
Although some make the transition to a new culture very easily, for many it is quite difficult. Cross-cultural transition involves intensive reflection and resocialization. Within the new culture, a newcomer has to redefine his understanding of himself, the world around him, and how he relates to others. The need to quickly understand and display the environment-specific behaviours and expectations and can be a source of a considerable amount of stress, identity confusion, and conflict. In addition, individuals may lose their usual source of personal validation, disrupting their usual coping strategies. Any past grievances which have not been dealt with may also be magnified by the transition.
All of this has been associated with what is termed ‘culture shock’. People experience culture shock where serious conflict or differences exist between the culture and expectations they grew up with and those of their host-country so as they cannot easily or quickly change. Manifestations of culture shock include social withdrawal, loneliness, refusal to make decisions, anxiety, depression, and strong reactions such as hostility. Culture shock has also been associated with psychophysical reactions such as insomnia, gastrointestinal problems, and other vague physical symptoms. It is important to understand that all of this is part of a process of coming to terms with a new environment and re-establishing and re-orientating their lives.
Some of the most influential research in cross-cultural transition has been done by John Berry. According to Berry, ‘acculturation’ is the phenomena resulting from groups from different cultures coming into first-hand contact. Acculturation involves patterns of changes to the original culture, the other groups (new culture), or both.
Berry defined three categories of acculturation:
1. Integration - those who balance the maintenance of their original cultural identity and their relations with other groups
2. Separation – those who maintain their original cultural identity without maintaining relations with other groups
3. Assimilation – those who do not maintain their original cultural identity yet create a strong relation with other groups.
With integration being the ideal process for a balanced cross-cultural transition, it is important for individuals to feel welcomed in their new environment. The process of cultural-transition can take a life-time. Some people take the transition well and others can find it extremely challenging. This article is only a preview of some of the research behind some experiences your family may be facing. Please remember that every individual is different and so will experience transition in their own unique way and at their own pace. It is also important to recognize that whatever the original culture, the new environment, the age, gender and educational background and so on, cross-cultural relocation is a process of transition that can have implications on any persons behavior, perception, identity, and even physical state. Remember that this is a normal process, and the symptoms mentioned are normal for the situation. One of the best ways to coach someone through cross-cultural transition is to always be welcoming, to be patient and encouraging through rough times, and to provide a genuine listening ear. Sometimes just by talking about our troubles with other people our stress is reduced and we are one step closer to accepting the situation and finding our own solution.
