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
show how cultural shock can be like a roller coaster ride of emotions:
Rhinesmith's Ten Stages of Cultural Adjustment
3
1
2
5
4
7
6
9
8
10
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
1
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
1
5
3
7
9
2
4
6
10
8
Second type: Diagram for the subjects who felt strong depression after 6 months
1
3
5
2
7
4
9
6
10
8
Third type: Diagram for the subjects who had been living overseas more than 10 years
1
3
2
5
4
7
6
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.
2