Cultural Adjustment
Machiko Morikami
1.1 Introduction
Recently, the number of people who go abroad because of their job or studies is increasing.
When we go abroad, we need to adjust to a host country’s culture. However, how do we adjust?
People usually feel cultural differences in another country. Sometimes they could be interesting but
sometimes they make people uncomfortable. These cultural differences may be a cause of culture
shock. However, what is culture shock? Is there any reason to experience culture shock? It is
interesting to find out what culture shock is and its adjustment stages.
1.2 A Definition of Culture Shock
Culture shock is a sense of confusion and uncertainty sometimes with feelings of anxiety that
may affect people exposed to an alien culture or environment without adequate preparation
(Encyclopedia Britannica).
1.3 Stages of Cultural Adjustment
Culture shock and its effect can occur in a number of stages. However, every person does not
experience culture shock and its effect in the same way or at the same time. It depends on the
person. The following 10 steps of cultural adjustment by Steven Rhinesmith shows how cultural
shock can be like a roller coaster ride of emotions:
Rhinesmith's Ten Stages of Cultural Adjustment
Leave a new culture
Accept a new culture
3
1
2
5
4
7
6
9
8
10
Accept
a host culture
Source: Returning Home, Canadian Bureau for International Education, 1984, p. 7.
The 10 stages of cultural adjustment on the above show the feeling movements when people get
integrate into a foreign culture. Also, there is not an exact step to assimilate to the culture abroad.
The following Ten Stages of Adjustment which Rhinesmith outlined show the emotions toward
culture shock can be like a rollercoaster rides.
1. Initial anxiety
2. Initial elation
3. Initial culture shock
4. Superficial adjustment
6. Acceptance of host culture
7. Return anxiety
8. Return elation
9. Re-entry shock
5. Depression-frustration
10. Reintegration
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1.4 Subjects’ Ten Stages of Cultural Adjustment
After the research, the writer found that there were three groups which her subjects were
categorized in. First type is that the subjects who felt the strongest depression around 3 months, and
got used to life abroad after that. Second type is that the subjects who had the hardest days around 7
months. Third type is that the subjects who had lived overseas for more than 10 years and did not
have strong emotional feeling waves. The following diagrams show subjects’ ten stages of cultural
adjustment in this survey.
Firs type: Diagram for the subjects who felt strong depression before 6 months
Accept a new culture
1
Leave a new culture
5
3
7
9
2
4
6
10
8
Accept
a host culture
Second type: Diagram for the subjects who felt strong depression after 6 months
Accept a new culture
1
Leave a new culture
3
5
2
7
4
9
6
10
Accept
a host
culture
8
Third type: Diagram for the subjects who had been living overseas more than 10 years
Accept a new culture
1
3
2
Leave a new culture
5
4
7
6
Accept
a host culture
9
8
10
Most of the subjects who went overseas for the first time had the two biggest depression
waves. One is first culture shock and homesickness abroad, and the other is reverse culture shock in
subjects’ home country. On the other hand, subjects who had lived overseas more than 10 years had
already assimilated to culture abroad. Also, they felt comfortable with both cultures. Hence, they
were not so much as emotional as subjects who went overseas for the first time.
1.5 Conclusion
We have revealed that there were 10 stages to adjust to culture abroad through this research.
In short, all of the people felt cultural differences, and they got used to the life abroad little by little.
Nowadays, the number of people who go abroad for studying English or job is increasing. However,
the causes of culture shock and 10 stages of cultural adjustment are not known well. So as not to be
panic when people feel cultural shock for the first time, we should consider the result of this thesis,
and it may help guide us when we go abroad.
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