Once you’ve arrived in Australia you may suffer from a phenomenon called `culture shock`. What is that and how can you recognize the stages? Almost everybody will go through some culture shock. How you overcome the shock often depends on your own attitude, the ability to recognize what is happening and your willingness to learn from others. In this three part series I will write about how culture can affect your stay Down Under. The good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful!

People from different countries usually have different social rules. If I communicate with people from other countries without knowing those differences, I will very likely misattribute at least some aspects of their behavior. I will feel that the foreigner has strange, rude habits. I will react emotionally by feeling puzzled, angry, or frustrated. You may find yourself in a culture shock. What is that?

 

Culture shock can be explained in five stages.

 

At arrival in Australia, you are likely to fall in love with Australia. This period could last a few weeks or longer. You are excited about being in a new place and experiencing a new lifestyle. You enjoy strolling around the cities and getting to know your new environment. You may have some problems, but usually you will accept them as just part of the newness.

 

But after a while you will notice that you will have to deal with problems like transportation (buses that don't stop when you want them to stop), shopping problems (can't buy favourite foods) or communication problems (People don’t understand what I mean). Australians may seem to no longer care about your problems. They may help, but they don't seem to understand your concern over what they see as small problems. You might even start to think that Australians don't like foreigners and you start feeling alien. If these symptoms present themselves in full force, you may begin to feel aggressive and start to complain about everything Australian. It is important to recognize that these feelings are real and can become serious. This phase is a crisis in the 'disease' of culture shock. It is called the "rejection" phase because it is at this point that you start to reject Australia, noticing only the bad things that bother you. It is often marked by mood swings caused by minor issues or without apparent reason. Depression is not uncommon. After this stage you can go three different ways:

 

Adopters and Cosmopolitans move into this stage which is characterized by gaining some understanding of the new culture, its ideals and values. You start to better understand `the way of doing things` and perhaps even the `strange` sense of humor. You will start to know how to greet people, you may start using the word ` mate`!. You will better understand how to dress appropriately and how to make yourself understood. You will reach a certain psychological balance. The crisis is over when you start to understand and tolerate cultural differences. It is at this moment when you may not feel as lost and you will start to have a feeling of direction.

 

In this stage you will accept the food, drinks, habits and customs of Australia, and may even find some things preferable to things at home. One realizes that there are different ways to live and that no way is really better than another, just different. Finally, the “international student” has become comfortable in the new place.

 

The fifth phase of culture shock is called "reverse culture shock" or "re-entry shock" and occurs when returning home. Many returning international students have a fairly rough time before settling at home again. Your international life will have changed you for ever.