preparing for life back home modified from preparing your international friend for life back home by...

Preparing for Life Back Home

modified from Preparing Your International Friend for Life Back Home

by John EavesCopyright © 1998, 2004 by International Students, Inc.

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http://ismcguelph.org/2tim3V16/Re-entry/Preparing%20for%20Life%20Back%20Home%20Booklet.PDF


Future focus / stress levels return Distancing in relationships

Reverse culture shock back home

The Transition Period Returning home

“Hands-On.” Advice from Returnees

1. Plan now for your return (the best time to start is the day you arrive).

2. Keep in regular contact with friends, colleagues, and family. Discipline yourself to write or call, even if you don’t feel like it.

3. Take more control over your educational program. You are the best judge as to what can be useful to you back home.

4. Take the time to develop a strong network among colleagues (get addresses, subscribe to journals while you are studying overseas, keep track of international conferences).

“Having already returned from studying in the United States, we returnees suggest that you.”

“Hands-On.” Advice from Returnees

1. Do not return home without saying goodbye to friends and colleagues. It is important for both of you.

2. Once you return home, try to find another returnee with whom you can share your experiences and adjustment questions.

3. Anticipate adjustments on your return. You cannot avoid it, but you can shorten the adjustment period by thinking about it before you return.

“Having already returned from studying overseas, we returnees suggest that you.”

Stress Levels and Cross–cultural Adjustments

High Fight Stage Flight Stage Fit StageStress Fascination Stage

Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (Months)

Time

Stress & Re-Entry ShockFrom

The Stages of Cultural Adjustment in the Shock PhaseAdapted from Lisa Espaneli Chinn by John Eaves, revised 2000

Fascination Stage

This is an exciting time to be reunited with family and friends. Now you can eat your favorite foods once again, and savor the relationships, the smells, and the sights that signal you are back home.

You mission is accomplished; You are welcomed by family and friends as a celebrity. This may last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

Summary

• Open to sharing overseas experience.• Enjoy attention from family and friends.• Willingness to discuss new ideas.• Experiment with new behaviors and attitudes.• Motivated to teach colleagues your new skills.

Flight Stage

Summary

• Family and colleagues may show signs of impatience• or lack of interest in your new ideas.• Feeling inadequate, unworthy, lonely, isolated.• Unexpected and excessive mood swings.

The newness and your “celebrity” status wears off. Daily demands of living and working begin to create frustration. You may experience uncertainty about the future or your job search, and anxiety begins to set in.

Fight Stage

Frustration and anger may begin to get the best of the you as you focus on the negative aspects of life back home rather than the positive ones. You tend to be critical and distant in your relationships.

Sometimes, you want to be around other returnees like yourself because of their shared overseas experience. You feel like they have more in common with them than with others.

You may entertain thoughts of going back overseas or attempt to recreate your Canadian lifestyle back home.

Summary

• Avoidance of conflict or tension with others.• You may prefer to be with other returnees.• Minor health problems.• Comparison of things in Canada and home.

Fit Stage

Most people will reach a point where they are able to resolve many of the initial frustrations with returning home and begin to balance out the positive and negative aspects.

They begin to feel more productive, and learn how to successfully integrate what they have learned and experienced overseas within a home context.

Summary

• Feeling more productive in academic and social life• Less annoyance with life back home• Ability to appreciate both plusses and minuses of what

you learned and experienced overseas.• Discovery of a greater sensitivity to your own culture,

resulting in greater awareness.

Types of Adjustments

The following are some of the types of problems or

adjustments a returnee may encounter after living abroad.

Adapted from Think Home, Lisa Espineli-Chinn, 1987, pp. 33, 34.

Cultural & Social Adjustments

• Identity confusion. You might ask, “Who am I? What is my true culture?”

• Unrealistic expectations for life back home• Changes in lifestyle or fashion• Friends or relatives too provincial in attitudes• Different pace of life• Family or community pressure to conform• others

National & Educational Problems • Changes in country’s conditions, national

priorities, policies, views• Political climate not helpful to your

professional activity or advancement• Economic uncertainties• Bureaucracy, how effective or efficient• Observed lack of national goals• Dissatisfaction with political situation

National & Educational Problems

• Relevance of Canadian education• Lack of resources for research• Absence of professional educational programs

to keep up with your field• Little opportunity to improve skills• Incomplete fulfillment of educational goals in

Canada, and implications back home• other

Professional Adjustment

• Inability to work in chosen specialty• Facing an oversupply in the job market, no

openings • Absence of adequate translation of foreign

scientific terminology• Feeling of superiority due to Western training• Isolation from academic and scientific

developments in career field• Non-recognition or appreciation for foreign

degree or study

Professional Adjustment

• Jealousy of colleagues• Low compensation, few benefits• Over-concern for quick material success• Impatience with rate of promotion• Perceived lack of commitment by co-workers• Absence of colleagues who speak the same

language.• Others

Spiritual Adjustment• Finding a home church• Being accepted in the local church, or

accepting the local church• Difficulties finding Christian fellowship• Your Christianity may be culturally western,

and not necessarily relevant to your home culture

• Miss the support of close Christian friends• Opposition to your Christianity from family,

friends and the workplace

Action Steps

• What do you think it will be like to return to your home country after studying in Canada?

• Use the adjustment checklists above to explore some of the unexpected changes you will inevitably face back home.

• See Preparation: The Best Remedy for Reverse Culture Shock below or read also Preparing for Life Back Home Booklet pages 13-18.


Preparation: The Best Remedy for Reverse Culture Shock

FromAdapted from Lisa Espaneli Chinn by John Eaves, revised 2000

Who Is Going Home? A Personal Inventory of Perceived Life Change

Who Is Going Home? A Personal Inventory of Perceived Life Change Who Is Going Home? A Personal Inventory of Perceived Life Change

Physical1. Have you gained or lost weight?2. Have you changed your diet?3. Have there been any changes in the clothing you wear?4. Have there been other changes in your physical

appearance?



Social1. How do you relate to people? Are you more (or less)

outgoing or shy?2. Have your attitudes toward the opposite sex changed?3. Do you relate differently to older people than when at

home?4. Are you now more or less concerned with class and

status issues?5. Do you now prefer living by yourself?6. What changes at home have affected you while you were

away?



Academic1. Do you now feel more or less academically competent?2. What study habits have you changed?3. Do you relate differently with your professors and

supervisors than at home?4. Are you more (or less) interested in helping your people

with the training you have received overseas?5. Have your purpose and life goals changed since coming

to Canada?



Emotional1. Are you better able to express personal feelings to

others?2. Are you now handling your emotions differently than when

you were back home?3. Do you have more (or less) compassion for people from

cultures different than your own?



Political1. Have you changed your views concerning the political

situation back home?2. Have your views concerning Canadian foreign policy

changed?3. Have you closely followed the political situation back

home?



Financial1. Are you more (or less) generous with your money and

possessions?2. Have you altered your buying habits?



Spiritual

1. Have you changed your attitude regarding the religious beliefs and practices of your family and friends back home?

2. Are you more (or less) open to differing views on religious issues?

Pre-Departure Checklist


Academic Luggage □ Thesis/Dissertation

□ Books/articles copied, send some by surface mail two to three months ahead

□ Diploma

□ Class notes

□ Journals (subscribe to publications while studying overseas)



Academic Luggage □ Addresses of professors/colleagues, information on

professional networks/associations (Join now!)

□ Addresses of other returnees in your area and Information on upcoming international conferences in your field

□ Goodbyes and thank you to friends and colleagues



Business Luggage □ Fill out forwarding address forms and change of address

cards at post office.

□ Apartment, give adequate notice to owner and to utilities, and make sure payments are settled.

□ Phone company, disconnect service (return phone if leased, or sell it if you own it). Car, sell it. If not possible by departure, sign a “power of attorney” form and leave it with the person selling your car. Remove license plates when you sell.



Business Luggage

□ Car, sell it. If not possible by departure, sign a “power of attorney” form and leave it with the person selling your car. Remove license plates when you sell.

□ Medical insurance, file any claims, and pay any outstanding balances.

□ Universities, clear all accounts, and make arrangements to mail your diploma if necessary. Order transcripts. Give correct forwarding address to the international student and alumni offices.



Business Luggage

□ Arrange air ticket. Check on baggage allowances and size and weight restrictions.

□ Check with your embassy or consulate on customs regulations on gifts, computers, or other “high-tech” equipment you may be bringing.

□ Notify family of arrival date and time, airline, and flight number.



Attitude Luggage

□ Review changes as a result of your overseas time.

□ Review expectations for returning home.

□ Recognize and accept the transition phase.

□ Have a good sense of humor.



Unacceptable Luggage

□ Borrowed items that should be returned.

□ Unpaid bills and debts that should be paid before departure.

□ North American cultural attitudes and articles/things that may cause alienation back home.

Action Steps


□ Discuss with a friend how you hope to apply the learning here in practical ways upon returning home.

□ Make sure to maintain contact with family and friends back home.

□ Complete and discuss the “Who Is Going Home?” inventory and “Pre-departure Checklists” with a friend.

□ Read spiritual issues for returnees pages 13 to 18 of the Preparing for Life Back Home Booklet.


Homework

Go to “Preparing for Life Back Home Booklet” and read the lesson on “The Road to Becoming Bicultural” p. 8 and consider the action steps at the end. If you like, discuss these with someone else.


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