Unit Six
Culture Shock
［1］Culture shock might be called an occupational dia of people who have been suddenly transplanted* abroad. Like most ailments*, it has its own symptoms and cure.
［2］Culture shock is precipitated* by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social intercour*. Tho signs or cues include the thousand and one ways in which we orient* ourlves to the situation of daily life; when to shake hands and what to say when we meet people, when and how to give tips, how to make purchas, when to accept and when to refu invitations, when to take statements riously and when not.
The cues, which may be words, gestures, facial expressions, customs, or norms*, are acquired by all of us in the cour of growing up and are as much a part of our culture as the language we speak or the beliefs we accept. All of us depend for our peace of mind and
our efficiency on hundreds of the cues*, most of which we do not carry on the level of conscious awareness.
［3］Now when an individual enters a strange culture, all or most of the familiar cues are removed. He or she is like a fish out of water. No matter how broad-minded or full of goodwill you may be, a ries of props* have been knocked from under you, followed by a feeling of frustration and anxiety.
People react to the frustration in much the same way. First they reject the environment which caus the discomfort. "The ways of the host country are bad becau they make us feel bad." When foreigners in a strange land get together to grou* about the host country and its people, you can be sure they are suffering from culture shock.
Another pha of culture shock is regression*. The home environment suddenly assumes a tremendous importance. To the foreigner everything becomes irrationally* glorified*. All the difficulties and problems are forgotten and only the good things back home are remembered. It usually takes a trip home to bring one back to reality.
［4］Some of the symptoms* of culture shock are excessive washing of the hands, excessive concern over drinking water, food dishes, and bedding; fear of physical contact with attendants, the abnt-minded stare; a feeling of helplessness and a desire for dependence on long-term residents of one's own nationality; fits* of anger over minor frustrations; great concern over minor pains and eruptions* of the skin; and finally, that terrible longing to be back home. 吃樱桃的好处
［5］Individuals differ greatly in the degree in which culture shock affects them. Although not common, there are individuals who cannot live in foreign countries. However, tho who have en people go through culture shock and on to a satisfactory adjustment can discern* steps in the process.
During the first few weeks most individuals are fascinated by the new. They stay in hotels and associate with nationals who speak their language and are polite and gracious* to foreigners.
抠门男This honeymoon stage may last from a few days or weeks to six months, depending on ci
rcumstances. If one is very important, he or she will be shown the show places, will be pampered* and petted*, and in a press interview will speak glowingly about goodwill and international friendship.
心情压抑［6］But this mentality* does not normally last if the foreign visitor remains abroad and has riously to cope with real conditions of life. It is then that the cond stage begins, characterized by a hostile and aggressive attitude toward the host country.
This hostility evidently grows out of the genuine difficulty which the visitor experiences in the process of adjustment. There are hou troubles, transportation troubles, shopping troubles, and the fact that people in the host country are largely indifferent to all the troubles.
They help, but they don't understand your great concern over the difficulties. Therefore, they must be innsitive and unsympathetic to you and your worries. The result, "I just don't like them.“ You become aggressive, you band together with others from your country and criticize the host country, its ways, and its people. But this criticism is not an
大寒古诗objective appraisal*. Instead of trying to account for the conditions and the historical circumstances which have created them, you talk as if the difficulties you experience are more or less created by the people of the host country for your special discomfort.
非常喜悦
菠萝炒肉［7］You 五猖会读后感take refuge* in the colony* of others from your country which often becomes the fountainhead* of emotionally charged labels known as stereotypes*.
This is a peculiar kind of offensive* shorthand* which caricatures* the host country and its people in a negative manner. The "dollar grasping American" and the "indolent* Latin Americans“ are samples of mild forms of stereotypes. The cond stage of culture shock is in a n a crisis in the dia. If you come out of it, you stay; if not, you leave before you reach the stage of a nervous breakdown①.
