By ; numkwan wongpatum

Chapter 5Handling Culture Shock

Effectively

• Defining the Terms: Culture Shock and Country Shock

• Stages of Culture Shock• Managing Country and Culture Shock• The Role of Culture in Conflicts and

Conflict Resolution• A Leader’s Role in Handling Culture

Shock

Topic;

• How would you define culture shock?– Reaction to psychological disorientation– Fish out of water feeling

• Country Shock?– 1st series of adjustments one has to make

in a new locale

What is Culture & Country Shock?

• Causes of Culture Shock–Being cut off from cultural cues and

patterns–Living/working over an extended period of

time in ambiguous situations–Having your values questioned–Being expected to operate at maximum

skill and speed without fully understanding “the rules”

What is Culture Shock?

• Effects/Symptoms of Culture Shock– Intense discomfort–Resentment–Homesickness–Depression–Variety of physical symptoms from

psychosomatic illnesses

What is Culture Shock?

• Country Shock–Physical circumstances–The setting of the culture–Occurs/resolves quickly

• Culture Shock– Interaction among people–Behaviors that seem strange to others–Takes longer to begin/resolve

Country Shock vs. Culture Shock

• What can bring on country shock?–Unfamiliar weather patterns–“Strange” foods–“Bugs” (insects, spiders, etc.)

that make life uncomfortable–Infrastructure differences

Country Shock

• What can heighten the intensity of country shock?–New faces and communities –Getting physically sick

Country Shock

•Honeymoon• Irritability/Hostility•Gradual Adjustment•Adaptation

Stages of Culture Shock

• Characteristics–Occurs at beginning of deployment–Positive mindset–High expectations–Focus on similarities between home

and host culture–Typically lasts 1-6 weeks

The Honeymoon Stage

• Actions during irritability–Withdrawal from host culture– Interacting only with other Americans– Interacting only with other military

personnel• Actions during hostility

–Verbal aggressiveness–Physical aggressiveness–Stereotyping

Irritability/Hostility Stage

• What it takes to get there–Time–Recognizing subtle cultural cues–Less isolation/greater comfort–More interaction with host

culture

Gradual Adjustment Stage

• How you know you’ve arrived–Greater enjoyment of local

customs–Comfort with host culture

communication norms–Realization that you will miss

aspects of host culture when you return home

Adaptation Stage

The Process of Adjustment Source: AusAID

• Ineffective responses–Returning to “mother culture”–Hide out (stay on

base/compound)–Travel to areas of greater

cultural diversity• Effective response

–Establish new routines for basic life skills

Dealing With Country Shock

• Effective responses–Realize almost everyone

experiences a certain level of culture shock

–Develop self-awareness of your behavioral expectations

–Understand the local’s expectations for your behavior

Managing Culture Shock

• We inflict culture shock on others by…–being ethnocentric–not becoming “other”–failing to practice empathy–reinforcing the concept of “the

ugly American”

Managing Culture Shock

• What is conflict?–Struggle over values and claims to

scarce status, power, and resources–Perceived divergence of interests–Our working definition: When two

related parties find themselves divided by perceived incompatible interests or goals, or in competition for control of scarce resources

Conflict

• Causes of conflict?–Value differences–Relationship clashes–Disagreement over data

–Diverging interests

Conflict

• Role of culture in conflict–It’s about who we are so it’s bound

to impact conflict–It relates to what we think is

important, and we often respond strongly when that’s challenged

–It can be the direct cause of conflict–It can be a contributing factor

Culture and Conflict

• Culture affects conflict in how we…–Name (describe it)–Frame (conceptualize it)–Blame (assign fault for it)–Tame (resolve it)

Culture and Conflict

• Think about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict–How does culture affect how it is

described?–From what framework is it viewed?–Who is blamed?–What is the best way to resolve it?

Culture and Conflict: An Example

• How would you define conflict resolution?–Eliminating the root cause of a conflict

and seeking the solution to the problems which led to the conflict

–Methods and processes of negotiation, arbitration, institution-building which promote the peaceful ending of social conflict & war

Culture and Conflict Resolution

• Methods of conflict resolution–Mediation–Diplomacy–Negotiation (most commonly used)–War

Culture and Conflict Resolution

• What is negotiation?–Striking a deal with someone–Bargaining–Discussing an issue with the

hope of settling it–When two or more parties confer

with one another to reach a mutually accepted outcome

Negotiation

• Situations requiring negotiation skills–Personal life–Within squadron–While deployed with local population

and leaders–With joint/coalition/allied forces–With other organizations

(governmental and nongovernmental)

Negotiation

• Impact of personality on negotiation–Some traits more conducive to

successful negotiation than others–Some traits counterproductive to

negotiation–Some traits are better suited to other

conflict resolution techniques, e.g., mediation, diplomacy, competing-forcing, etc.)

Personality & Negotiation

• Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions–Power Distance–Uncertainty Avoidance–Individualism vs. collectivism–Long-term vs. short-term

orientation

Cultural Dimensions & Negotiation

• Defining the Terms: Culture Shock and Country Shock

• Stages of Culture Shock• Managing Country and Culture Shock• The Role of Culture in Conflicts and

Conflict Resolution• A Leader’s Role in Handling Culture

Shock

Summary