Cult shock. The phenomenon of culture shock, its symptoms and ways to overcome it

When contacting a foreign culture, one becomes acquainted with new artistic creations, social and material values, and the actions of people that depend on the picture of the world, value ideas, norms and conventions, and forms of thinking characteristic of a foreign culture. Such meetings, as a rule, enrich people, but often contact with another culture leads to problems and conflicts due to a misunderstanding of this culture.

The concept of “culture shock” and its symptoms

Experts called the stressful impact of a new culture on a person culture shock; Sometimes the similar concepts of “transition shock” and “cultural fatigue” are used. Almost all immigrants experience it to one degree or another. It causes mental health problems, more or less pronounced mental shock.

The term "culture shock" was coined in scientific circulation American researcher Kalsrvo Oberg in 1954. He noted that when entering a new culture, a person experiences a number of unpleasant sensations. Today, it is believed that the experience of a new culture is unpleasant or shocking because it is unexpected and because it can lead to a negative evaluation of one's own culture.

Usually isolated following forms manifestations of culture shock:

stress due to the efforts made to achieve psychological adaptation;
a sense of loss due to deprivation of friends, position, profession, property;
feeling of loneliness (rejection) in a new culture, which
can transform into a denial of this culture; o violation of role expectations and self-identification;
anxiety that turns to resentment and disgust after recognizing cultural differences;
feeling of inferiority due to inability to cope with the situation.

The main cause of culture shock is cultural differences. Each culture has developed many symbols and images, behavioral stereotypes, with the help of which a person can automatically act in different situations. When a person finds himself in a new culture, the usual system of orientation becomes inadequate, since it is based on other ideas about the world, other norms and values, stereotypes of behavior and perception. It is disappointment in the adequacy of one’s own culture, the awareness of its non-universality that becomes the cause of shock, since in the conditions of one’s culture a person does not realize that it contains this hidden, invisible part of culture.

The state of culture shock is directly related to the communication process. Every person takes his ability to communicate for granted and does not realize the role this ability plays in his life until he finds himself in a situation of misunderstanding. Unsuccessful communication usually causes him heartache and disappointment. However, in this state the person realizes that the source of frustration is his own inability to communicate adequately. We are talking not only and not so much about ignorance of the language, but about the ability to decipher cultural information from a different cultural environment, about psychological compatibility with speakers of a different culture, the ability to understand and accept their values.

Range of Culture Shock Symptoms very wide - from mild emotional disorders to serious stress, psychosis, alcoholism and suicide. In practice, it is often expressed in excessive concern for the cleanliness of dishes, linen, the quality of water and food, in psychosomatic disorders, general anxiety, insomnia, and fear. This or that type of culture shock can develop from several months to several years, depending on individual characteristics personality.

Modern researchers consider culture shock as part of the process of adaptation to new conditions. Moreover, in this process the individual not only acquires knowledge about the new culture and the norms of behavior in it, but becomes more culturally developed, although he experiences stress. Therefore, since the beginning of the 1990s. experts prefer to talk not about culture shock, but about acculturation stress.

The mechanism of development of culture shock was first described in detail by Oberg, who argued that people go through certain stages of experiencing culture shock and gradually achieve a satisfactory level of adaptation. Today, an adaptation curve (U-shaped curve) has been proposed to describe them, in which five stages of adaptation are distinguished.

The first stage is called the “honeymoon”: as a rule, migrants, once abroad, are full of enthusiasm and hope. In addition, they are often prepared for their arrival, they are expected, and first they receive help and may have some benefits. But this period is quickly passing.
At the second stage, unusual environment and culture begin to have a negative impact. All higher value acquire psychological factors caused by misunderstanding local residents. The result can be disappointment, frustration and even depression. Therefore, during this period, migrants are trying to escape from reality, communicating mainly with their fellow countrymen and complaining to them about life.
The third stage is critical, as culture shock reaches its maximum. This can lead to somatic and mental illnesses. Some migrants return to their homeland. But the majority find the strength to overcome cultural differences, learn the language, get acquainted with the local culture, make local friends, from whom they receive the necessary support.
At the fourth stage, an optimistic attitude appears, the person becomes more self-confident and satisfied with his position in the new society and culture, considering adaptation and integration into the life of the new society to be very successful.
At the fifth stage, complete adaptation to the new culture is achieved. From this time on, the individual and the environment correspond to each other. Depending on the intensity of the listed factors, the adaptation process can last from several months to 4-5 years.

The resulting U-shaped culture shock development curve is characterized by the following stages: good, worse, bad, better, good.

When a person who has successfully adapted to a foreign culture returns to his homeland, he is faced with the need for reverse adaptation (readaptation) to his own culture. It is believed that in this case he experiences a “return shock”, described by the W-shaped readaptation curve. It repeats the U-shaped curve: at first a person is happy to return and meet friends, then he notices that some features of his native culture seem strange and unusual to him, but gradually he again adapts to life at home.

Factors influencing culture shock, can be divided into two groups - internal (individual) and external (group).

In the group of internal (individual) factors, the most important are the individual characteristics of a person - age, gender, education and character traits, life experience.

Age is a critical element of adaptation to another community: than older man, the more difficult it is for him to adapt to the new cultural system, the harder and longer he experiences culture shock, and the slower he perceives the models of the new culture. Thus, young children adapt quickly and successfully, but schoolchildren already experience great difficulties, and older people are practically incapable of adaptation and acculturation.

Floor. Previously, it was believed that women had a harder time adapting to a new environment than men. But this applies to women from traditional societies, whose lot in a new place is to do housework and have limited communication with new people. Women from developed countries have the same ability to acculturate as men, and American women are better than men at adapting to new circumstances. Therefore, recently researchers believe that for adaptation it is more important education factor: the higher it is, the more successful the adaptation. Education, even without taking into account cultural content, expands the internal capabilities of a person. The more complex a person’s picture of the world, the easier and faster he perceives innovations.

In this regard, experts have identified a universal set personal characteristics, which a person preparing for life in a foreign country with a foreign culture should have. These are professional competence, high self-esteem, sociability, extroversion, openness to different views, interest in others, a tendency to cooperate, tolerance of uncertainty, internal self-control, courage and perseverance, empathy. True, real life practice shows that the presence of these qualities does not always guarantee success. If the values of a foreign culture differ too much from the named personality traits, i.e. The cultural distance is too great; adaptation will be very difficult.

Circumstances of a person's life experience also refer to internal factors of adaptation and overcoming culture shock. The most important thing here is the motives for adaptation. The motivation of migrants determines how fully they become acquainted with the language, history and culture of the country where they are going. There is strong motivation among emigrants who want to move permanently to another country and want to quickly become full members of a new culture, as well as among students receiving education abroad. The situation is much worse for internally displaced persons and refugees who did not want to leave their homeland and do not want to get used to new living conditions.

Faster adaptation is facilitated by the experience of living in a foreign cultural environment, the presence of friends among local residents, who help to quickly master the information necessary for life, provide support (social, emotional, sometimes even financial), and contacts with former compatriots living in this country. But there is a danger of becoming isolated in a narrow circle of friends, which will increase alienation. Therefore, many services related to emigrants try to limit their residence in homogeneous national groups, believing that this interferes with rapid adaptation and may even cause ethnic prejudice.

External factors influencing adaptation and culture shock include cultural distance, cultural characteristics, and conditions of the host country.

Cultural distance - the degree of difference between the native culture and the one to which a person adapts. Moreover, adaptation is influenced not even by the cultural distance itself, but by a person’s idea of it. his sense of cultural distance, which depends on many factors - the presence or absence of wars or conflicts both in the present and in the past, knowledge of a foreign language and culture, etc. Subjectively, cultural distance may be perceived as further or closer than it actually is; in both cases, the culture shock will last and adaptation will be difficult.

Features of culture, to which migrants belong. Thus, representatives of cultures in which the concept of “face” is very important and where they are afraid of losing it adapt less well; Such people are very sensitive to the mistakes and ignorance that are inevitable in the adaptation process. Representatives of the “great powers” have difficulty adapting, as they usually believe that it is not they who should adapt, but others.

Conditions of the host country, in particular, the friendliness of local residents towards visitors, their willingness to help them and communicate with them. It is much easier to adapt in a pluralistic society, as well as in societies where the policy of cultural pluralism is proclaimed at the state level, such as in Canada or Sweden, than in a totalitarian or orthodox one.

It is impossible not to mention such factors as economic and political stability in the host country, the level of crime on which the safety of migrants depends, the opportunity to communicate with representatives of another culture (which is possible if there are joint activities - general work, hobbies, etc.), the position of the media, which create a general emotional mood and public opinion relative to other ethnic and cultural groups.

Culture shock is a complex and painful condition for a person, but it indicates personal growth, breaking existing stereotypes, which requires a huge expenditure of a person’s physical and psychological resources. As a result, it is formed new picture world, based on the acceptance and understanding of cultural diversity, the dichotomy of Us-They is removed, resistance to new challenges, tolerance for the new and unusual appears. The main result is the ability to live in an ever-changing world, in which borders between countries matter less and less and direct contacts between people become increasingly important.

A. Yu. Piterova

candidate historical sciences, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Management Penza State University, Penza, Russia

CULTURE SHOCK: FEATURES AND WAYS TO OVERCOME

Annotation. The article is devoted to the analysis of the phenomenon of culture shock (culture fatigue), which almost every person encounters when interacting with a new culture. The characteristics of the main forms of culture shock, its causes and symptoms are presented. The stages of development of culture shock are considered: “honeymoon”, “grinding in”, “reintegration”, “neutrality”, “comfort”, as well as U-shaped and W-shaped adaptation models. Internal (individual) factors influencing the strength of the manifestation of culture shock and the duration of intercultural adaptation are analyzed: age, gender, education, human character traits, life experience, motivation, as well as external (group) factors: cultural distance, features of the migrant’s native culture, etc. Methods of behavior are given in order to prevent or reduce the duration of cultural shock: ghettoization, assimilation, interaction, partial assimilation. In conclusion, on this issue, the main results regarding modern trends in culture shock research are summarized.

Key words: intercultural communication, culture shock, adaptation, integration, cultural distance, “alien” culture.

Candidate of historical sciences, associate professor department of Communication Management Penza State University, Penza, Russia

CULTURE SHOCK: THE MAIN FEATURES AND WAYS TO OVERCOME

Abstract. The article analyzes the phenomenon of cultural shock (cultural fatigue), faced by almost every person in the interaction with the new culture. The author presents the characteristics of the main forms of cultural shock, its causes and symptoms. The article describes the development stages of culture shock: honeymoon, “grinding”, “reintegration”, “neutrality”, “comfort”, and also U-shaped and W-shaped model adapta-

tion. The article analyzes the internal (personal) factors that affect the strength of the symptoms of cultural shock and the duration of intercultural adaptation: age, gender, education, personality traits of the person, life experience, motivation, and external (group) factors: cultural distance, the features of the native culture of the migrant and others. The author discusses ways of conduct in order to prevent or reduce the duration of cultural shock: ghettoizing, assimilation, interaction, partial assimilation. In conclusion, in this problem, the author summarizes the main results concerning the current areas of research of cultural shock.

Key words: intercultural communication, culture shock, adaptation, integration, cultural distance, “alien” culture.

Currently, a completely natural situation has developed when any nation is open to the perception of other people’s cultural experience and at the same time is ready to share its own culture with other nations. However, any interaction of a person with a new, but at the same time “alien” culture for him is accompanied by a peculiar process of entering into this culture, which for different people (and in different situations of contact with culture) is more or less painful, but always has certain consequences. In addition to gaining new knowledge, experience, and spiritual enrichment, misunderstanding and rejection of the new culture often occur, which can lead to various kinds of problems and stress.

Such an impact of a “foreign” culture on a person is a shock leading to a violation of his mental health, and is called culture shock (culture fatigue). It is experienced by most immigrants who find themselves in another culture, regardless of the reasons for their move to new country.

The term “culture shock” was introduced into scientific circulation in 1960 by the American researcher Kalervo Oberg. In his opinion, culture shock is “a consequence of anxiety, which appears as a result of the loss of all the usual signs and symbols of social interaction,” in addition, when entering a new culture, a person develops very unpleasant sensations.

Currently, the painful entry into a new culture is explained, firstly, by its unexpectedness, and secondly, by a possible revaluation of one’s own culture not in its favor.

Culture shock can manifest itself in six main forms:

Tension due to the efforts made by a person to achieve psychological adaptation;

Feeling of loss due to loss of friends, position in society, profession, property;

A feeling of loneliness (rejection) in a new culture, which can be modified into a denial of this culture;

Violation of role expectations and sense of self-identity;

Anxiety that turns to resentment and disgust after recognizing cultural differences;

A feeling of inadequacy due to the inability to cope with the current situation and environment.

The main cause of culture shock is cultural difference. Each culture contains certain images and symbols, as well as behavioral stereotypes, on the basis of which a person can act in various situations. When a person finds himself in a new culture, the usual algorithm of his actions is disrupted, since it is based on different ideas about the world, norms and values, stereotypes of behavior and perception.

Symptoms of culture shock can be completely different conditions: from mild emotional disorders to deep stress, mental disorders, alcoholism and suicide. In everyday life, this often manifests itself in exaggerated anxiety about the cleanliness of dishes, linen, the quality of water and food, psychosomatic disorders, general restlessness, sleep disturbances, and phobias. Depending on the individual characteristics of a person, one or another variation of culture shock can be observed from several months to several years.

Despite the above, the consequences of culture shock can be not only negative. According to modern researchers, culture shock is a completely normal reaction, and even an integral part of the process of adaptation to new conditions. In addition, in this case, a person not only receives information about a new culture and its norms and values, but also increases his level of cultural development, although he experiences stress. Therefore, since the beginning of the 90s. XX century Many scientists prefer to use the phrase “acculturation stress.”

The algorithm for the development of culture shock was first described in detail in the 1960s. K. Oberg, who believed that people go through certain stages of culture shock and gradually

reach the required level of adaptation. Subsequently, many scientists dealt with the issue of identifying and describing the stages of culture shock, but the most famous list of stages belongs to the American researcher Peter Adler, who in 1975 developed an U-shaped curve called the “adaptation curve”, which distinguishes five stages (stages) of adaptation .

The first stage is the “honeymoon” (1-6 months in the new country): in the new territory, most migrants initially like almost everything, they are full of enthusiasm and hope, it seems to them that their goal (study or work abroad) has been achieved. At the same time, they are often prepared for their arrival, they are expected, so at first they receive help and may even have some privileges. At this stage there is a constant comparison between “like theirs” and “like ours”, and not in favor of “us”. But this period passes quite quickly. Depending on the person’s experience and sensitivity, the first phase can last from several weeks to several months.

The second stage is “grinding in” (6-12 months in a new country): the effect of “novelty” disappears, pressure comes from the unfamiliar environment and culture. An immigrant takes off his “rose-colored glasses”; he tries to overcome everyday pressing problems (communication, food, moving in a new place, using services, etc.), which are often complemented by a misunderstanding of the natives. As a result, disappointment or unjustified expectations arise, frustration and even depression may occur. A person considers himself a failure who cannot successfully live and work like the people around him. Thus, typical symptoms of culture shock appear. At the same time, immigrants actively try to communicate with their compatriots, nostalgic for their native language, food, native places, etc.

The third stage is “reintegration” (1 - 1.5 years in a new country): if at the “grinding in” stage all a person’s irritation was directed at himself, now anger and negative emotions spill out onto others and the new country. Immigrants complain about injustice and the “improper structure” of their new life. IN this moment culture shock reaches its maximum, which can cause serious mental illness. Many migrants cannot withstand such stress and return to home country. But the majority strives to overcome cultural differences, learn the language, get everything

more information about the local culture, finds friends who provide the necessary support.

The fourth stage is “neutrality”: a person develops an optimistic attitude, self-confidence and satisfaction with his position in the new society and culture. The assessment of the positive and negative aspects of staying in one’s native and foreign countries becomes more objective and adequate, the visible difference in conditions and quality of life is perceived calmly. Thus, fairly successful adaptation and adaptation to the new society continues.

The fifth stage is “comfort”: there is complete inclusion in the new culture, its acceptance, mutual correspondence of expectations and reality arises, a person feels equally comfortable both in the “old” and in the “new” country. However, not everyone reaches this stage, and the integration process itself can last from several months to several years.

Thus, if the five stages considered are presented graphically based on the criterion of a person’s perception of the new culture and his mental well-being in it, then we obtain an U-shaped curve of the development of culture shock, in which the following stages can be distinguished: good, worse, bad, better, Fine.

It is also worth noting that when a person who has successfully integrated into a foreign culture returns to his homeland, he needs to go through the process of reverse adaptation (readaptation) to his own culture. At the same time, he also experiences a shock, which is called “return shock.” Such a shock can also be represented graphically, but in the form of a W-shaped readaptation curve model. It partially duplicates the U-shaped curve: at first a person rejoices at his return home, meeting with family and friends, but then he pays attention to the fact that some features of his native culture seem strange and unusual to him, and only gradually does he re-adapt to life in his homeland.

The listed adaptation models (U-shaped curve and W-shaped curve) cannot be called universal. For example, tourists who stay in another country mainly for a short period of time are not subject to culture shock and do not go through the adaptation process. On the other hand, permanent migrants, due to certain motivation (or lack of choice), do not always go through all the stages of culture shock presented above, because they

it is necessary to completely “enter” the new society and change one’s identity.

The strength of the manifestation of culture shock and the duration of intercultural adaptation depend on a number of factors that can be divided into two groups: internal (individual) and external (group).

Among the internal (individual) factors belonging to the first group, the dominant ones are the individual characteristics and characteristics of a person: age, gender, education, character traits.

According to researchers, a person's age is a basic and critical element of adaptation to another culture. With age, a person becomes more difficult to integrate into a new cultural system, experiences cultural shock more intensely and for a longer period of time, and is slower to perceive the values and behavior patterns of the new culture. Thus, children’s adaptation is least painful preschool age, schoolchildren begin to experience great difficulties, and if we talk about older people, then in most cases they are not able to adapt to a new society.

Previously, it was believed that the complexity of the adaptation process and the duration of culture shock are also influenced by a person’s gender. Thus, there was an opinion that women adapt to a new environment more difficult than men. But according to the latest data, among people who have successfully adapted to a “foreign” culture, the number of men and women is approximately equal, which does not allow gender to be considered a factor determining the duration and intensity of culture shock.

More important in the adaptation process is a person’s educational level: the higher it is, the more successful the adaptation is. The reason is that education expands a person’s internal potential, complicates his perception of the environment, and therefore makes him more tolerant of changes and innovations.

The considered factors allow us to talk about a universal list of desirable personal characteristics of a person who is preparing for life in another country with a foreign culture. Such characteristics include professional competence, high self-esteem, sociability, extroversion, openness to different opinions and points of view, interest in the environment and people, ability to cooperate, internal self-control, courage and perseverance. It is, of course, worth considering that the presence

The listed qualities are not a guarantee of success. If the values of a foreign culture are radically different from the indicated personal characteristics, this indicates a significant cultural distance, and, accordingly, a rather complex adaptation process.

The group of internal factors that determine the difficulty of adaptation and the duration of culture shock includes a person’s life experience, as well as his motivation to move. The most powerful motivation is that of emigrants who, for various reasons (economic, social, etc.), want to move to a new country and stay there, to accept a new culture. Students studying abroad also have high motivation, since rapid adaptation to a new place is their main goal at the moment. It’s a different matter when it comes to refugees and internally displaced persons who do not want to leave their homeland, but are forced to do so. Therefore, the adaptation process slows down significantly, and integration into a new culture is much more difficult.

There are also some other ways to shorten and facilitate the process of adaptation to a new environment. These include: existing experience in a foreign cultural environment; having friends among local residents who help you quickly get the information you need for life; contacts with former compatriots also living in this country. However, in addition to the person receiving certain support (social, emotional, sometimes financial), there is a risk of being confined to a narrow circle of friends, which can significantly increase the feeling of alienation. Therefore, many emigration services try to limit the residence of immigrants in homogeneous national groups, since this interferes with rapid adaptation and can even cause ethnic prejudice.

The group of external factors influencing adaptation and culture shock includes cultural distance, which refers to the degree of differences between “one’s own” and “alien” cultures. It is important to understand that adaptation is influenced not by the cultural distance itself, but by a person’s idea of it, his sense of cultural distance, which in turn depends on many factors: the presence or absence of wars or conflicts in the present and in the past, knowledge of a foreign language and culture, etc. Cultural distance is perceived subjectively and may in reality be greater or less than it

there actually is. But in both cases, the culture shock will last, and adaptation will be difficult.

An external factor is also the characteristics of the native culture of the migrants themselves. For example, adaptation is more difficult among representatives of cultures in which the concept of “face” is very important and where they are afraid of losing it. These people are overly sensitive to the lack of information about something and the mistakes that are inevitable in the adaptation process. Representatives of the “great powers” also have difficulty adapting to a new culture, who often believe that it is not they who must adapt, but those around them.

It is also advisable to note a number of external factors that indirectly determine the process of adaptation of migrants: the conditions of the host country, the friendliness of local residents towards visitors, the willingness to help them, the desire to communicate with them; economic and political stability in the host country; the level of crime on which the safety of migrants depends; the possibility and accessibility of communication with representatives of another culture (this is real if you have common work, hobbies or other joint activities); media messages that create a general emotional mood and public opinion towards other ethnic and cultural groups.

There are many points of view regarding the causes of culture shock. Thus, researcher K. Furnham, based on an analysis of literary sources, identifies eight approaches to the nature and characteristics of this phenomenon, commenting and showing in some cases even their inconsistency:

1) the emergence of culture shock is associated with geographic movement, causing a reaction reminiscent of mourning (an expression of grief over) lost connections. However, culture shock is not always associated with grief, so in every special case it is impossible to predict the severity of the loss and, accordingly, the depth of this grief;

2) the blame for experiencing culture shock is placed on the fatalism, pessimism, helplessness and external locus of control of the person who finds himself in a foreign culture. But this does not explain differences in distress and contradicts the assumption that most “travellers” (migrants) subjectively have an internal locus of control;

3) culture shock is a process of natural selection or survival of the fittest, the best. But this explanation oversimplifies the present

important variables, since most studies of culture shock are not predictive, but retrospective;

4) the blame for the occurrence of culture shock is placed on the expectations of the visitor, which are inappropriate in the new environment. However, the connection between unmet expectations and poor adjustment has not been proven;

5) the cause of culture shock is negative events and disruption of the daily routine in general. However, it is very difficult to measure ongoing events and establish causality: on the one hand, the victims themselves are the culprits of negative events, and on the other hand, negative events make these people suffer;

6) culture shock is caused by a divergence of values due to a lack of mutual understanding and conflicts accompanying this process. But some values are more adaptive than others, so value conflict by itself cannot be a sufficient explanation;

7) culture shock is associated with a deficit of social skills, as a result of which socially inadequate or inexperienced people are experiencing a more difficult period of adjustment. However, it downplays the role of personality and socialization, and there is an underlying ethnocentrism in this understanding of adaptation;

8) the blame is placed on a lack of social support, and this approach uses arguments from attachment theory, social network theory and psychotherapy. However, it is difficult to quantify social support or develop a social support mechanism or procedure to test and justify such a conclusion.

Despite the inevitability of the process of adaptation to a new culture and, accordingly, the susceptibility of any migrant to culture shock (to a greater or lesser extent), one can try to overcome the unpleasant influence of the new environment, or at least reduce its “painfulness”. Thus, according to the American anthropologist Philip Bok, there are several ways of behavior to prevent culture shock.

The first method can be roughly called ghettoization. It is realized in situations when a person arrives in another society, but tries or is forced (due to ignorance of the language, natural timidity, religion, or for some other reason) to avoid any contact with a foreign culture. In this case, he tries, mainly due to the environment of his fellow tribesmen, to create his own cultural

environment, thus fencing off from the influence of a foreign cultural environment. This is how compact places of residence of “strangers” (emigrants, refugees, guest workers) or “local” (US Indians) carriers of a different culture are created, where they get the opportunity to preserve and maintain their cultural microenvironment within the strict confines of local closed spaces (ghettos). Well-known examples of this phenomenon are the “Russian” Brighton Beach and the famous Chinatowns - Teatowns in the USA, areas inhabited by religious Orthodox in Israel, etc. .

The second method is assimilation, which is essentially the opposite of ghettoization. IN in this case the individual completely renounces his culture and strives to fully assimilate the cultural baggage necessary for life, which, of course, is not always possible. This is an extreme form of cultural conformism, a conscious rejection of one’s own (weaker or no longer relevant) cultural identity in favor of complete adaptation to a “foreign” culture. The cause of the difficulties turns out to be either the insufficient plasticity of the personality of the person being assimilated, or the resistance of the cultural environment of which he intends to become a member. For example, such resistance is found in some European countries (France, Germany) towards emigrants from Russia and Asian countries. Even if they successfully master the language and achieve an acceptable level of everyday competence, the environment does not accept them as one of their own.

The third way is intermediate, consisting of cultural exchange and interaction. In order for the exchange to be carried out adequately, that is, to benefit and enrich both parties, goodwill and openness on both sides are necessary, which in practice is quite rare. Nevertheless, there are examples in history of such successful cultural interaction: German philosophers and scientists who left Germany after the Nazis came to power were able to make a significant contribution to the development of science and philosophy in English speaking countries and even significantly changed the intellectual climate, thereby influencing the development public life. In general, the results of such interaction are not always obvious at the very moment of its implementation. They become noticeable and significant only after a significant period of time.

The fourth method is partial assimilation, when an individual sacrifices his culture in favor of a foreign cultural environment in one of the spheres of life: for example, at work

is guided by the norms and requirements of a foreign cultural environment, and in the family, at leisure, in the religious sphere - by the norms of its traditional culture. This practice of overcoming culture shock is the most common. Emigrants most often assimilate partially, dividing their lives into two unequal spheres. As a rule, assimilation turns out to be partial either in the case when complete ghettoization is impossible, or when, for various reasons, complete assimilation is impossible.

In conclusion, on this issue, it is advisable to summarize some results regarding modern research on culture shock, as well as a number of its specific features that determine the following generally accepted assumptions.

First, culture shock is not a disease, but a learning process, no matter how unpleasant or painful it may be. However, culture shock can be associated with pathological conditions or lead to reactions that are dangerous to human health.

Secondly, more in a broad sense Culture shock can refer to a situation that goes beyond the situation of being a “newcomer in a foreign country.” People experiencing any radical change in their lives may go through a process of adaptation or accommodation that resembles culture shock.

Third, it is not yet possible (if possible) to measure the development of culture shock or to prove the B-curve or W-curve hypotheses, although the heuristic value of culture shock as an explanatory model still remains.

Fourth, there are ways to prepare people for the experience of culture shock and help alleviate distress and discomfort during the process.

Finally, culture shock is a common phenomenon that most people experience (to a greater or lesser extent) at some time.

Thus, culture shock is an essential element of cultural dynamics, depriving the usual cultural standards of unambiguity, promoting the renewal of traditional cultural systems due to the “invasion” of foreign cultural elements, stimulating innovative activity through the interaction of various cultural traditions and cultural practices, promoting change social structure society Of course, culture shock is a complex and painful condition for a person. But it shows that

personal growth occurs, existing stereotypes are broken, which requires a huge expenditure of human physical and psychological resources. As a result, a new picture of the world is formed, based on the acceptance and understanding of cultural diversity, the dichotomy “us - them” is removed, resistance to new challenges, tolerance for the new and unusual appears. The main result of this process is the ability to live in a constantly changing world, where borders between countries are becoming less and less important and direct contacts between people are becoming increasingly important.

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12. Oberg K. Practical Anthropology / K. Oberg. - New Mexico,

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Piterova Anna Yuryevna - Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Management, Penza State University, 440026, Penza, st. Krasnaya 40, Russia, e-mail: [email protected].

Piterova Anna Yurevna - Candidate of historical sciences, associate professor, department of Communication Management, Penza State University, 40 Krasnaya Street, Penza, 440026, Russia, e-mail: [email protected].

Cases of voluntary or forced mass movements of ethnocultural groups that leave the places of formation of the ethnic group and its long-term residence and move to another geographical and cultural space, are called ethnocultural migration.

The latter not only creates a new situation in the world, but also requires settlers to adopt a new outlook on social life And own existence in him. By exploring the causes and motives of migration and emigration, the adaptation of migrants to different ethnocultural and natural environments, the transformation of ethnic identity among different generations of migrants, psychologists are trying to understand these phenomena in order to help people solve their psychological problems with adapting to new conditions and overcoming “culture shock” ( shock of the new).

The experience of perceiving a new culture is “shock” because it is unexpected and can lead to a negative assessment of both the native and the new culture. In addition, each culture has its own symbolic system of social environment, verbal and nonverbal communication. A person’s inner world depends on these signals, and when the invisible system of orientation in the world becomes inadequate in the conditions of a new culture, a person experiences a shock (“shock”), as a result of which his mental health suffers. It is no coincidence that there are more mental illnesses among migrants than among native residents

"Culture shock" refers to a certain mental condition migrants, which they experience when encountering a foreign culture. The term “culture shock” was first introduced into scientific use by K. Oberg. The author identified the following symptoms of culture shock that appear upon contact with an unfamiliar culture:

· tension caused by the efforts that are necessary for an individual to psychologically adapt to a new cultural environment;
· the emergence of a feeling of loss associated with the loss of important things in one’s previous life: status, friends, homeland, profession, property, etc.;
· the emergence of a feeling of rejection caused by the fact that the migrating person is not accepted (especially at first) by the new culture and its carriers, as well as a feeling of rejection when the person himself does not accept the new culture and its values;
· the occurrence of a malfunction in the role structure, when the roles used in one’s native culture are not suitable for the new environment;
· the emergence of a crisis of self-identification and value system;
· the emergence of a feeling of anxiety based on various emotions (surprise, disgust, indignation, indignation) arising as a result of awareness of cultural differences;
· the formation of a feeling of inferiority, which can arise as a result of a person’s inability to cope with a new situation and adapt to the values and norms accepted in it.

The state of “culture shock” has the following characteristics:

· entering a new culture is a confusing, confusing and disorganizing experience for every person;
· a strong nervous shock occurs, which arises as a result of the influence of new conditions, when the sensory, symbolic, verbal and non-verbal systems that uninterruptedly ensured normal life in the homeland refuse to work adequately, that is, when the usual patterns of life, which include traditions and norms , values and certain stereotypes and settings do not match new reality and new situations;
· can provide positive influence on personal growth, since the result of cultural shock can be the acquisition of new values, attitudes and patterns of behavior, and in a collision with another culture the individual gains knowledge through experience; gains knowledge through experience;
· promotes the development of ethnic relativity and tolerance, when an individual begins to understand the sources of his own ethnocentrism and acquires new views and assessments in relation to other peoples.

After the culture shock hypothesis put forward by K. Oberg, a large number of research on the difficulties that visitors face when mastering a new cultural environment. An analysis of work on the problem of culture shock was carried out by famous scientists Adrian Furnham and Stephen Bochner in the famous work “Culture Shock: Psychological Reactions to an Unfamiliar Environment” (1986), where they, summing up, give the following definition of culture shock: “Culture shock is a shock from new. The culture shock hypothesis is based on the idea that the experience of a new culture is unpleasant or shocking partly because it is unexpected and partly because it can lead to a negative evaluation of one's own culture."

Most often, culture shock has Negative consequences, but attention should also be paid to its positive side, at least for those individuals for whom initial discomfort leads to the adoption of new values and behavior patterns and, ultimately, is important for self-development and personal growth. Based on this, the Canadian psychologist J. Berry even suggested using the concept “acculturation stress” instead of the term “culture shock”: the word shock is associated only with negative experiences, but as a result of intercultural contact, positive experiences are also possible - assessing problems and overcoming them.

Typically, the problem of culture shock is considered in the context of the so-called adaptation curve. In accordance with this curve, G. Triandis identifies five stages of the visitor adaptation process.

The first stage, called the “honeymoon,” is characterized by enthusiasm, high spirits, and high hopes. Indeed, most visitors seek to study or work abroad. In addition, they are welcome in the new place: the people responsible for the reception try to make them feel “at home” and even provide them with some privileges.

At the second stage of adaptation, the unusual environment begins to have its negative impact. For example, foreigners coming to our country are faced with housing conditions that are uncomfortable from the point of view of Europeans or Americans, crowded public transport, a difficult criminal situation and many other problems. In addition to such external circumstances, in any culture new to a person, psychological factors also influence him: feelings of mutual misunderstanding with the local residents and lack of acceptance by them. All this leads to disappointment, confusion, frustration and depression. During this period, the “stranger” tries to escape from reality, communicating mainly with fellow countrymen and exchanging impressions with them about the “terrible natives.”

At the third stage, the symptoms of culture shock can reach a critical point, which manifests itself in serious illness and a feeling of complete helplessness. Unable to successfully adapt to the new environment, unsuccessful visitors “leave it” - returning home ahead of schedule.

However, much more often, visitors receive social support from their environment and overcome cultural differences - they learn the language and get acquainted with the local culture.

At the fourth stage, depression is slowly replaced by optimism, a sense of confidence, and the person feels more adjusted and integrated into the life of society.

The fifth stage is characterized by complete - or long-term, in Berry's terminology - adaptation, which implies relatively stable changes in the individual in response to environmental demands. Ideally, the adaptation process leads to a mutual correspondence between the environment and the individual, and we can talk about its completion. In case of successful adaptation, its level is comparable to the level of adaptation of the individual at home. However, adaptation to a new cultural environment should not be equated with simple adaptation to it.

Each person reacts differently to each of the stages, as a result of which some stages can last either a very long time or proceed very quickly. The duration and severity of culture shock is influenced by many factors, such as mental health, personality type, experience of long trips abroad, socio-economic conditions, language skills, support, level of education.

So, the five stages of adaptation form a U-shaped curve: good, worse, bad, better, good. But the trials of even successfully adapted visitors do not always end with their return to their homeland, since they have to go through a period of readaptation and experience the “shock of return.” At first, they are in high spirits, happy to meet relatives and friends, and to be able to communicate on native language etc., but then note with surprise that the features of their native culture are perceived by them as unusual or even strange.

According to some researchers, the stages of readaptation follow a U-shaped curve, so the concept of a W-shaped adaptation curve has been proposed for the entire cycle.

Numerous empirical studies in recent years have questioned the universality of U- and W-curves. Indeed, when people find themselves in a new cultural environment, they do not necessarily go through all the stages of adaptation and readaptation. Firstly, not all visitors experience culture shock, if only because some of them - tourists - usually return home before the end of the first stage. Secondly, staying in a foreign country does not necessarily begin with a “honeymoon,” especially if your own and foreign cultures are very different from each other. Thirdly, many visitors do not complete the adaptation process, as they leave as soon as they begin to feel the symptoms of culture shock. Fourthly, returning home is not always traumatic.

How to cope with culture shock:

- take up your favorite hobby;
- remember your own positive experience;
- remember that there are always resources that you can use;
- be patient, everything takes time;
- don’t try too hard;
- try to lead a lifestyle similar to what you led at home, this will help you suppress the feeling of melancholy;
- maintain contacts with representatives of your ethnic group. This will give you back the feeling that you are still part of this world and will brighten up your loneliness;
- have more contact with the new culture, learn the language, do not hesitate to communicate;
- set simple goals and achieve them, evaluate your progress;
- learn to get along with situations that do not satisfy you 100%;
- maintain self-confidence;
- do not refuse help, there is always a person ready to help.

The concept of culture shock was popular until the 70s. XX century, but recently the term “acculturation stress” has become increasingly popular. In its meaning, acculturation stress is close to culture shock, but to a lesser extent focuses attention on negative symptoms. Among the latter, researchers most often mention increased levels of anxiety and depression.

List of used literature

culture shock adaptation

1. Galustova O.V. Ethnopsychology: lecture notes. - M.: Prior-izdat, 2005. - 160 p.
2. Gritsenko V.V. Cross-cultural psychology: educational and methodological. allowance for students. - Smolensk, 2008. - 24 p.
3. Kuznetsova T.V. Psychology of culture: (Psychological and philosophical analysis): course of lectures. - K.: MAUP, 2005. - 152 p.: ill.
4. Stefanenko T.G. Ethnopsychology. - M., 1999. - 320 p.
5. Smolina T.A. Adaptation to a foreign cultural environment: analysis of related concepts // Human Psychology: Integrative approach. Digest of articles. - St. Petersburg, 2007. - p. 162-167

Acute culture shock (mainly caused by moving to another country) usually consists of several phases. However, it must be recognized that not everyone goes through these phases, just as not everyone spends enough time in a foreign environment to go through certain phases.

§ "Honeymoon". During such a period, a person perceives the differences between the “old” and “new” culture “through rose-colored glasses” - everything seems wonderful and beautiful. For example, in such a state a person may become interested in food that is new to him, a new place of residence, new habits of people, new architecture etc.

§ "Reconciliation". After a few days, weeks, or months, a person stops focusing on minor differences between cultures. However, he again strives for the food he was used to at home, the rhythm of life in the new place of residence may seem too fast or too slow, people’s habits may be annoying, etc.

§ "Adaptation". Again, after several days, weeks or months, the person gets used to his new environment. At this stage, the person no longer reacts negatively or positively because he is adapting to the new culture. He again leads daily life, as before in his homeland.

§ “Reverse culture shock.” Returning to the native culture after adapting to a new one can again cause a person to experience the above-described phases, which may not last very long or as long as the first culture shock in a foreign land.

Definition of culture shock

When scientists talk about culture shock as a phenomenon, we are talking about the experiences and sensations common to all people that they experience when changing their usual living conditions to new ones.

Similar sensations are experienced when a child moves from one school to another, when we change apartment or job, or move from one city to another. It is clear that if we get all this together when moving to another country, the culture shock will be a hundred times stronger. This is true for all emigrants, no matter where they come from or where they move, regardless of age and gender, profession and level of education. When foreigners in an unfamiliar country gather to grumble and gossip about the country and its people, you can be sure they are suffering from culture shock.

The degree to which culture shock affects a person varies. Not often, but there are those who cannot live in a foreign country. However, those who have met people going through culture shock and adjusting satisfactorily may notice stages in the process.

In order to ease culture shock or shorten its duration, you need to realize in advance that this phenomenon exists and that you will have to face it one way or another. But the main thing to remember is that it can be dealt with and it won’t last forever!

A person finds himself in an unfamiliar country, and everything still seems rosy and beautiful to him, although some things cause bewilderment. Or, a person has been living in a foreign country for a long time, knows the habits and characteristics of the local residents. In one case or another, he is in a state of so-called “culture shock”, which no one has yet managed to avoid... 5

We are dependent on living conditions and habits. Our well-being certainly depends on where we are, on the sounds and smells around us, and on the rhythm of our lives. When a person finds himself in an unfamiliar environment and finds himself cut off from his usual surroundings, his psyche usually suffers shocks. He or she is like a fish out of water. It doesn't matter how widely educated and well-meaning you are. A number of pillars are knocked out from under you, followed by anxiety, confusion and a feeling of disappointment. Adapting to a new culture requires going through a difficult adjustment process called “culture shock.” Culture shock is the feeling of discomfort and disorientation that occurs when encountering a new and difficult to understand approach to business. 6 Culture shock is a natural response to a completely new environment.

2. 2. General symptoms

1). I always want to go home;

2). Nothing seems funny to you;

3). Excessive thirst and need for food or, conversely, poor appetite;

4). The desire to “lounge” in bed;

5). Fear of physical contact;

6). Absent-mindedness;

7). Feeling helpless;

8). Aggressiveness;

9). Obsession with hand washing. 7

2. 3. Phases of culture shock

Any person who finds himself outside his native lands goes through the following phases of culture shock.

Phase I. "Honeymoon". Most people start their life abroad with a positive attitude, even euphoria (finally got out!): everything that is new, exotic and attractive. During the first few weeks, most are fascinated by the new. During the honeymoon stage, a person notices the most obvious differences: differences in language, climate, architecture, cuisine, geography, etc. These are concrete differences and are easy to appreciate. The fact that they are concrete and visible makes them not scary. You can see and evaluate, thereby you can adapt to them. People stay at the hotel and communicate with those who speak their language, who are polite and welcoming to foreigners. If “he” is a VIP, then he can be seen at “spectacles”, he is pampered, he is treated kindly and during interviews he speaks passionately about goodwill and international friendship. This honeymoon can last from a few days or weeks to 6 months depending on the circumstances. But this mentality usually does not last long if the “visitor” decides to stay and face the real living conditions in the country. Then the second stage begins, characterized by hostility and aggressiveness towards the “receiving” party.

Phase II. Anxiety and hostility. Just like in marriage, the honeymoon does not last forever. After a few weeks or months, a person becomes aware of problems with communication (even if his knowledge of the language is good!), at work, in the store and at home. There are problems with housing, problems with movement, problems with “shopping” and the fact that those around them are generally and mostly indifferent to them. They help, but they don't understand your enormous dependence on these problems. Therefore, they seem to be indifferent and callous towards you and your worries. Result: “I don’t like them.”

But at the stage of alienation, you will be influenced by differences that are not so obvious. It is not only the tangible, “rough” aspects that are alien, but also the relationships between people, the ways of making decisions and the ways of expressing their feelings and emotions. These differences create much more difficulty and are the cause of most misunderstandings and disappointments, which leave you feeling stressed and uncomfortable. Many familiar things simply do not exist. Suddenly all differences begin to be seen in exaggerated terms. A person suddenly realizes that he will have to live with these differences not for a couple of days, but for months or years. The crisis stage of diseases called “culture shock” begins.

And in what ways do we – our body and psyche – fight them? Criticizing local residents: “they are so stupid”, “they don’t know how to work, they only drink coffee”, “everyone is so soulless”, “intellect is not developed”, etc. Jokes, anecdotes, sarcastic remarks about local residents become medicine. However, these are not all the signs of the “disease”. According to research, culture shock has a direct impact on our mental and even physical well-being. Typical symptoms: homesickness, boredom, reading, watching TV, desire to communicate only with Russian speakers, loss of ability to work, sudden tears and psychosomatic illnesses. Women are especially prone to all this.

In any case, this period of culture shock is not only inevitable, but also useful. If you get out of it, you stay. If not, you leave before you reach the stage of a nervous breakdown.

Phase III. Ultimate addiction. If the visitor is successful in acquiring some knowledge of the language and begins to move independently, he begins to open paths into a new social environment. The newcomers still experience difficulties, but “they are my problems, and I have to bear them” (their attitude). Usually at this stage, visitors acquire a sense of superiority towards the inhabitants of the country. Their sense of humor shines through. Instead of criticizing, they joke about the inhabitants of this country and even gossip about their difficulties. Now they are on the road to recovery.

Getting out of the crisis and gradual addiction can occur in different ways. For some it is slow and imperceptible. For others - violently, with dedication to local culture and traditions, even to the point of refusing to recognize themselves as Russians (Americans, Swedes, etc.). But no matter how this stage goes, its undoubted advantage is in understanding and accepting the “code of behavior”, achieving special comfort in communication. However, even at this stage you may still be accompanied by the pitfalls of change: for example, Vladimir Nabokov, who had to integrate into American culture, wrote about a deep internal crisis, even psychosomatic illnesses, which he had to endure when switching to writing books in English. Once you reach this stage, sometimes there will be days when you will go back to previous stages. It is important to recognize that all these different sensations are a natural part of adapting to a new environment.

Phase IV and last “Biculturalism”. This last phase represents a person’s ability to “function” safely in two cultures - his own and the adopted one. He for real comes into contact with a new culture, not superficially and artificially, like a tourist, but deeply, and embracing it. Only with a complete “grasping” of all signs of social relations will these elements go away. For a long time a person will understand what the native says, but not always understand what he means. He will begin to understand and appreciate local traditions and customs, even adopt some “codes of behavior” and generally feel “like a fish in water” both with the natives and with “our own people”. The lucky ones who find themselves in this phase enjoy all the benefits of civilization, have a wide circle of friends, easily settle their official and personal affairs, while at the same time not losing self-esteem and being proud of their origin. When they go home on vacation, they can take things with them. And if they leave well, they usually miss the country and the people they are used to.

It turns out that an adapted person is, as it were, divided: there is his own, native bad, but his own way of life and another, alien, but good. Of these two evaluative dimensions, “friend - foe”, “bad - good”, the first is more important than the second, which is subordinate to it. For some people, these constructs apparently become independent. That is, a person thinks: “So what, what’s alien. But, for example, it’s more comfortable, more money, more opportunities,” etc. The problem is that “what’s yours” doesn’t go anywhere simply by definition. You cannot throw away, forget your life story, no matter how bad it may be. As A.S. Pushkin said: “Respect for the past is the feature that distinguishes education from savagery.” As a result, you are a perpetual stranger. Of course, you can fall in love with this culture, literally, otherwise a less strong feeling will not overcome the gap of foreignness, and then the alien will become your own.

In my opinion, what is called good adaptation is the ability to operate with the signs of another culture on an equal basis with one’s own. This requires certain abilities, memory for example, and a person’s strong ability to resist being “pulled away” by a hostile environment, emotional self-reliance. That is why children adapt well, they quickly grasp everything, talented people who live by their creativity, and do not care about pressing problems and, strange as it may seem, housewives, “protected” from the environment by caring for their children and home, and not by caring about ourselves. 8

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CONTENT

Introduction

Basically, a person receives culture shock when he enters another country, different from the country where he lives, although he may encounter similar sensations in his own country with a sudden change in the social environment.

A person has a conflict between old and new cultural norms and orientations; old ones, to which he is accustomed, and new ones, characterizing a new society for him. This is a conflict between two cultures at the level of one’s own consciousness. Culture shock occurs when the familiar psychological factors that helped a person adapt to society disappear, and instead, unknown and incomprehensible ones appear, coming from a different cultural environment.

This experience of a new culture is unpleasant. Within the framework of one’s own culture, a persistent illusion of one’s own vision of the world, way of life, mentality, etc. is created as the only possible and, most importantly, the only acceptable one. The overwhelming majority of people do not recognize themselves as a product of a separate culture, even in those rare cases when they understand that the behavior of representatives of other cultures is actually determined by their culture. Only by going beyond the boundaries of your culture, that is, by encountering a different worldview, attitude, etc., can you understand the specifics of your social consciousness and see the difference between cultures.

People experience culture shock differently and perceive the severity of its impact differently. It depends on their individual characteristics, the degree of similarity or dissimilarity of cultures. This can be attributed to whole line factors including climate, clothing, food, language, religion, level of education, material wealth, family structure, customs, etc.

I believe that the problem of "culture shock" relevant in modern world.

As Charles Darwin said, "The highest possible stage moral culture- when we realize that we are able to control our thoughts.”

So, purpose Our research is to reveal the concept of culture shock, as well as to consider cases of its manifestation.

Subject research favors unusual cultural characteristics of countries.

To achieve our goal, we select a series tasks:

Let's analyze the concept of culture shock.

Let us consider cases of manifestation of culture shock and its forms.

Let's conduct research and find out the most popular types culture shock.

Let's find ways to overcome culture shock.

Research methods:

analysis of cultures of different countries

identifying the causes of culture shock and its phases

Through a survey, we will determine the most well-known manifestations of culture shock.

Main content.

So what is culture shock? Culture shock- emotional or physical discomfort, disorientation of an individual caused by entering a different cultural environment, encountering another culture, an unfamiliar place. Getting used to a new environment can be exciting, stressful, challenging, funny, or just downright confusing.

The term “culture shock” was introduced into scientific circulation by the American researcher Kalsrvo Oberg in 1954. He noted that when entering a new culture, a person experiences a number of unpleasant sensations. Today, it is believed that the experience of a new culture is unpleasant or shocking because it is unexpected and because it can lead to a negative evaluation of one's own culture.

Typically, the following forms of manifestation of culture shock are distinguished:

stress due to the efforts made to achieve psychological adaptation;

a sense of loss due to deprivation of friends, position, profession, property;

feeling of loneliness (rejection) in a new culture, which

can transform into a denial of this culture; o violation of role expectations and self-identification;

anxiety that turns to resentment and disgust after recognizing cultural differences;

feeling of inferiority due to inability to cope with the situation.

A study by British psychologist D.B. Mumford is one of the few works that aims to study the factors and circumstances influencing volunteer culture shock. As a result of the study by D.B. Mumford presented 12 symptoms (aspects) of culture shock:

a general feeling of tension from the effort of adapting to another culture;

longing for family and friends;

acceptance by local people;

the desire to escape from the surrounding reality;

disgust or shock towards a new culture;

problems with role and identity in a new culture;

a feeling of helplessness and loss of control when encountering a new culture;

efforts made to be polite to the receiving party;

unpleasant sensations from surrounding gazes;

anxiety and awkwardness when meeting with the local population;

the feeling that people are deceiving you when buying goods;

understanding gestures and facial expressions when meeting with representatives of the host country

There are several phases of culture shock:

Acute culture shock (mainly caused by moving to another country and especially when leaving for education) usually consists of several phases. However, it must be recognized that not everyone goes through these phases, just as not everyone spends enough time in a foreign environment to go through certain phases.

. "Honeymoon". During such a period, a person perceives the differences between the “old” and “new” culture “through rose-colored glasses” - everything seems wonderful and beautiful. For example, in such a state a person may become interested in food that is new to him, a new place of residence, new habits of people, new architecture, etc.

. "Reconciliation". After a few days, weeks, or months, a person stops focusing on minor differences between cultures. However, he again strives for the food he was used to at home, the rhythm of life in the new place of residence may seem too fast or too slow, people’s habits may be annoying, etc.

. "Adaptation". Again, after several days, weeks or months, the person gets used to his new environment. At this stage, the person no longer reacts negatively or positively because he is adapting to the new culture. He again leads daily life, as before in his homeland.

. "Reverse culture shock". Returning to the native culture after adapting to a new one can again cause a person to experience the above-described phases, which may not last very long or as long as the first culture shock in a foreign land.

Let's look at some situations where culture shock manifests itself:

England. In England, personal space is very valuable. If a person is sitting on a bench, another cannot sit on it next to it, since this act may be regarded as disrespect for the person’s personal space.

The British can come home and throw their clothes where they see fit, outerwear they have for work.

People in England love tea very much and rarely drink coffee, cappuccino or cocoa.

In England it is considered extremely rude to spit in public.

Most people shake hands when meeting for the first time or in a formal setting.

China. In China, if a guest eats everything before the end of the conversation, he is considered hungry and needs more. It is considered correct if you drag out your food throughout the conversation.

Teenagers, mostly boys, in China are very concerned about their appearance. Hair styling and makeup are commonplace for them.

Slurping and talking loudly while eating is par for the course.

Noodles are one of the main dishes. Noodles are very popular and have a very long history. Chinese noodles vary in many ways. One of these parameters is the width of the noodles. The noodles can be as thin as a needle or as thick as chopsticks. However, when it comes to length, basically everyone tries to make the noodles long without cutting them into shorter pieces. This is because, according to the Chinese, long noodles symbolize long years. Therefore, during birthday celebrations, people often prepare "longevity noodles" in hopes of long life.

Huge quantities of eggs are consumed every year in China. People eat eggs not only from chickens, but also from many other birds, such as duck, goose, and pigeon. In Chinese, the word for egg is pronounced dan, which is similar to another word, dai, which means generation. In the traditional understanding, eggs symbolize fertility and new life. When people get married, celebrate the birth of a child or his first month, and on other joyful occasions, they present each other with eggs painted red as a gift that is supposed to bring good luck. This gift signifies hope and happiness, as well as continuity of generations in the family.

Italy. In Italy, it is customary to eat pasta instead of the first course. And if you eat something else, you show your disrespect for that nation, cook or family.

There are no benches on the streets of Italy. If you want to relax, you can go to a cafe (you must make a reservation) or sit on the steps or sidewalk.

Don't sit at tables in Italian bars. Table service can cost twice as much as bar service.

In any weather and season, girls in Italy prefer to wear leather boots. Even if it’s +40 outside

Experimental part.

We conducted a sociological survey among 50 people who had visited abroad to identify the most well-known factors of culture shock. And the results showed that 30% (15 people) experienced discomfort in food, 40% (20 people) - from traditions, 20% (10 people) - did not understand the language and for 10% (5 people) - experienced shock from appearance local residents.

Conclusion.

If you are planning to stay abroad for a long time, prepare properly for the trip. After all, you cannot know for sure whether you are at risk of culture shock - even those who have already been to other countries on short tourist trips are not immune from it. Prevention is in any case better than cure. When traveling to another country, try to learn as much as possible about its history, geography, customs and traditions of its inhabitants. Remember that how you treat people is how they treat you. Wariness entails wariness, aggressiveness will inevitably run into aggressiveness, and goodwill and a sense of humor (primarily towards oneself) will always find a response in the hearts. Even “mysterious” foreigners. Having lived in another country for some time, you, wittingly or unwittingly, accepted part of the norms of the new society. And returning to your homeland is associated with the opposite process - abstracting yourself from the way of life that has already become familiar to you and getting used to the new situation in your homeland. We hope that our presentation will help you enjoy your holiday to the fullest.

Literature.

Blue I. Yu. Using the phenomenon of culture shock for the formation of sociocultural competence of students in foreign speech classes / I. Yu. Golub // Foreign. Movie. - 2011. - No. 1. - P. 40-43.

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