Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock - Which Will Effect You The Most As An Expatriate?

Much is made of the occurrence of culture shock for expatriates but little discussion occurs on the reverse but oftentimes more severe shock, that of returning to your home culture after a time away. In fact the majority of people who experience it are not even aware of its existence, even though it's occurrence can physically and emotionally disrupt your life.

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The occurrence and effects of culture shock are well documented but less is known about reverse culture shock, being largely unrecognized by most as even a possibility. Your time away from your home culture influences you more than you realize, and reverse culture shock can be a significant factor in repatriation.

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I can remember three distinct instances in my life where I experienced this phenomenon. Each case was different. The first was a summer spent living with the family of a college friend in Mexico. The second was a summer spent traveling and studying in India. The third was a year teaching in Puerto Rico immediately upon returning from my trip to India.

I personally feel that the degree to which reverse culture shock occurs depends primarily on four factors:

the age at which the experience occurs, the length of time you have been away from your home culture, the degree to which the foreign culture is different from your home culture, and whether it is your first experience in a new culture or only one in a series of numerous such occurrences in your life.

Each of these factors have a different degree of effect, but taken together create a combination of factors that facilitates the occurrence of reverse culture shock.

Age. Youth is a time when new things are not only easily accepted but oftentimes eagerly looked forward to. I think both the severity of culture shock and reverse culture shock is therefore less noticed by this group. The older generation is more socialized into their home cultural tradition and in most cases less able to quickly adapt to change. Over my three months in Mexico (my first foreign experience), I noticed the differences, but actually looked forward to the next exciting, unexpected occurrence. I talked about my experiences for months, but my major need when I got back to the U.S. was my craving for a hot dog and a heaping plate of mashed potatoes. So much for reverse culture shock!

Length of Time. Both my first Mexico and India experiences lasted about three months. There was sufficient time to start adapting to the new environments, but not enough time to become completely acclimatized to the new culture.

Extent of Cultural Differences. Reverse culture shock is greatest when the language and culture of your host country is dramatically different from your own. For that reason, it was much more difficult to adapt to the changes induced in my thinking while in India than it was when I was in Mexico.

Number of expatriate experiences You have had. There seems to be a direct correlation between the number of different cultural destinations you have experienced and your ability to adapt to additional ones or to the effects of reverse culture shock upon your return.

Like culture shock, reverse culture shock affects different individuals to a different degree. Being aware of the possibility of its occurrence upon your return home may not stop it, but will help you understand what is happening to you.

Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock - Which Will Effect You The Most As An Expatriate?

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