Culture shock can be described as a type of disorientation, often accompanied by anxiety and frustration, when exposed to a culture or environment that is different from one’s own culture. After spending two weeks in Italy, it is safe to say I have experienced a fair amount of culture shock and will experience this again when I return to the United States in a few weeks. However, I feel slightly less concerned about any further problems with culture shock due to the material covered in Radical Communication class this week.
In class we learned how to recognize the personal problems and the negative feelings many experience at some point in their life. Some of these issues can be influenced by the environment. For instance, prosociality is a “constellation of behaviors, attitudes, and values that involve cooperating with others” (Biglan 1). This class of human behavior is extremely helpful for individuals who are experiencing a different culture for the first time. If an individual tries to learn about a foreign culture before they travel there, the individual will most likely have a better experience when communicating with locals while abroad. On the other hand, if one does not learn about the culture, behaviors, and language in the region where they plan to travel, it may be much harder to communicate and enjoy the immersion into an new environment, leading to culture shock.
Regardless of one’s preparedness for an experience abroad, it is likely that an individual will still experience culture shock; but there are ways to recognize when this occurs and dissipate the frustration or anxiety one may experience. By sitting and recognizing the negative emotions one is feeling it is easier to ask oneself why they feel this way and get to the origin of the problem. After realizing the reason why one is experiencing said negative emotions, it is easier to solve the problem or recognize the trigger for these emotions. For instance, I realized I regularly had anxiety when it came to paying for things at the local grocery store in Perugia. I noticed I was less concerned about getting the supplies in the bag and more concerned about the amount of money I was giving to the cashier. I then began to practice numbers in Italian more and now do not feel any anxiety over going to the grocery store.
Although culture shock can be very frustrating and stressful, it does not have to impede on one’s experience. By researching more about the behaviors and culture one is becoming immersed in, it can be much easier to adapt to the new environment and allow one to become more informed on other customs and behaviors.