There is evidence that Culture Shock plays a crucial role in the development of people’s sociocultural life nowadays. This term makes reference to the set of reactions that an individual may experience when coming into contact for the first time with a culture different from their own. Such an impact usually has an affective variable and a cognitive variable. From an affective point of view, the subject may experience emotions such as fear, mistrust, discomfort, anxiety, or insecurity. From a cognitive, you may experience a cognitive conflict between your knowledge of the world on the one hand and the frameworks of knowledge, values or interpretations of the new culture, on the other. It is important to understand that Culture Shock has an extensive background of symptoms and that many people can experience a different one.
However, in recent years, there has been an increasing interest in knowing how people can overcome culture shock due to all the difficulties that It poses to a person experiencing it. For example
Aim:
The purpose of this study was first to analyze which feelings people experienced during Culture Shock and secondly, which techniques beforehand they were using to face this issue. In addition, a final aim was to find out appropriate help which can be provided to people who has experienced Culture Shock.
Method:
The sample:
A total of 82 respondents completed the Questionnaire about “Culture Shock”, who were selected from a different range of ages, gender, and background. They were all people who moved abroad from their home country.
Data collection:
This research was carried out through a questionnaire form, where 10 questions were focused on how Culture Shock can have an effect on people’s lives and which techniques were used to face or overcome these issues.
Findings:
These figures add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to specify more than one reason
Graph SEQ Figure * ARABIC 1
The results obtained from the preliminary analysis of the question “Which feelings have you experienced during Culture Shock?” are shown in graph 1. The data shows that 52.7% of the people felt a lack of confidence at the time of facing this issue and followed by 45.9% of those who felt homesick. The most interesting aspect of this graph is that by experiencing depression people experience insomnia and irritability at the same percentage (27%), suggesting that all three emotions are linked which can be seen in the graph. It also shows that the lowest percentage (17.6%) of the people who have experienced Culture Shock has not felt any of the above feelings.
Graph SEQ Figure * ARABIC 2
Turning to which techniques people have used to face culture shock, we can see in graph 2 that the most common technique was to prepare themselves mentally and be open-minded with 62% and 45% had to get in contact with people who were able to give advice e.g., family, friends or professionals. However, 32 of the respondents who make up 40.5% said that learning the language beforehand can be useful at the time to move a different country. While the minority of the population (32%) chose background research as a technique to face culture shock.
Conclusion:
Overall, these results provide important insights into what people feel when they experience Culture Shock, this in turn gives chance to understand and give the correct type of support to a person who has experienced this, as the wrong help could cause additional stress.