The first obstacle---Your own identityWho in the world am I?A clear and positive identity is the main ingredient of self-confidence,and self-confidence is one of the most important qualities of ahealthy intercultural personality.Confident people know their strengths and weaknesses. They know their beliefs and values. They know their desires and goals. They do not feel threatened by cross-cultural surprises. They are flexible and open to cultural differences.To start, it may be helpful to think of ourselves as having not just one single identity, but several co-identities. There are our ethnic identity, phychological identity, religious identity and cultural identity.Value tendency------Human natureIndividuals who believe inthe inherent evilness ofhuman nature tend to bemore skeptical andsuspicious wheninteracting with dissimilarothers.Value tendency------The physical universeThe supernaturalWhat happens tome is my own doing.•Sometimes I feel thatI do not have enoughcontrol over thedirections my life istaking.Value tendency------Individualist and collectivist valuesIndividualistic-basedrelationships emphasizeautonomy, differentiation,and the unique qualitiesof the people in therelationship.Value tendency------Looking into the futureMost European-Americanstend to deemphasize thepast, move forward boldlyto the immediate future,and strongly emphasizethe importance of“futurism”.Value tendency------doingThe “doing” solution meansachievement-orientedactivities. For most Americans,it means focusing on tangibleaccomplishments for personalgains such as a coveted jobpromotion or a bigger salary totake care of self andimmediate family.The first obstacle---Your own identity Discussion questions:1. What would you say if you must make a completeidentification of yourself?2. How has your personal identity been influenced by yourculture? Discuss the ways in which your identityinfluences how you talk to other people? What cross-cultural difficulties can you imagine yourself having?The second obstacle---stereotypes and faulty expectationsMistaken identity--stereotypesThe process is simple. First, we collect what we know about the people of some place or group. Then we compress that knowledge into a few easily remembered phrases. And finally we think of the result asa typical cultural identity--Japanese, American, German, French.Later, whenever we meet someone from that place or group, we immediately assign this typical identity to that person, at least until we learn of some reason not to.expectationsA fablePeople see what they expect to see. If people think that most others are generous and friendly, then they will tend to see only generous and friendly peole. If they think most are selfish and unfriendly, they will notice onely the selfish, unfriendly people.People are never passive receivers. People don't go out and encountera ready-made world, waiting only for them to touch and talk about.Instead, people go out and create for themselves whatever world they inhabit.The second obstacle---stereotypes and faulty expectationsThere are two faulty expetations that may lurk in our mind, producing misunderstanding if we're not careful.The first is that some people are quite easily convinced that thier own world is the best one and that most other worlds fail to measure up to theirs. This is the expectation of inferiority.Virtually every group, clan or society distinguishes between "our people" and "everyone else." The spoken or unspoken judgment that "our people" are better than "everyone else" usually follows.expectationsGive some examples to show this judgments.What will happen if such attitudes develop to extreme?The second obstacle---stereotypes and faulty expectationsThe second trouble is that it's easy to hold the illusion that things that look like things we know.All of us have grown up within a community that has taught us, in one way or another, how the world works. Our language, rituals, norms, gestures, and a host of other patterns have become so habitual and commonplace that we can't easily imagine a world that worksdifferently from ours. Consequentely, when we enter a foreign world, we might expect that these patterns we've learned are universal.expectationsThe different interpretation of the commongesture:What message does this gesture convey toyou?Does it communicate approval?Or perhaps an insult?Is it an obscene geture?Or maybe a signal meaning money?What's the solution to this dilemma? Followthis reasonable principle: It is primarily thtguest's responsibilty to learn and honor thebasic rules and taboos of hte host's culture.The second obstacle---stereotypes and faulty expectationsHow can you train yourself to scan more broadly?1. Try to limit the natural tendency to evaluate negatively anything thatis foreign to you. In other words, you can work on your attitude.2. Do something now and then that challenges your resistance to newexperiences. In other words, you can change your behavior.The third obstacle---culture shockA letter written by a Chinese journalist Liu Zongzen about hisexperience in America:"I had looked forward to seeing such a beautiful place. Now nothing impressed me and I felt no elation.....I had to restrain myself from leaving. I sat quietly then, by myself, and wondered about thiscountry, these people, this winter celebration, all so different from my homeland.""I was suffering, not because people in America were rejecting me, but because they didn't understand me and didn't seem to care how i felt--and because I didn't understand them, either."The accumulation of feeling like these, and the unhappiness that accompaies them is called "culture shock"The third obstacle---culture shockHow do you know when you are experiencing culture shock?Mild symptoms might include:feeling irritable and short-temperedfeeling lonely and wanting to go homestaring blankly at things (or at nothing)More serious symptoms might include:withdrawing from other peoplegrowing paranoid about being injured, cheated, or ridiculedphysical sickness and/or frequent visits to a doctorThe third obstacle---culture shockThe stages of cultural adjustmentStage one: The preparation stage:This first stage takes place entirely before leaving home. It is very busy time. All of these preparations are usually accompanied by many fantasies, and even a few fears.The emotions one may feel typically include anticipation, excitement, anxiety, and uncertainty.The third obstacle---culture shockThe stages of cultural adjustmentStage one: The preparation stage:Imagine you will be sent to Sigapore for a few months. Discuss some of your fantasies about going there.What about fears?The third obstacle---culture shockThe stages of cultural adjustmentStage two: The spectator stageThis stage begins upon arrival abroad. There are so many things to see, so many people to meet, so many places to go. There are newfoods and entertainments, new festivals and holidays, new rhythms and cycles. Many people in this stage feel like they are guestsbecause they get so much help and support from their host families and institutions. In fact, the experience is so pleasant for mostpeople that this stage is sometimes referred to as "the honeymoon stage."The third obstacle---culture shockThe stages of cultural adjustmentStage two: The spectator stageWhat festivals does Sigapore have every year?What famous scenic spots are you going to visit?The third obstacle---culture shockThe stages of cultural adjustmentStage three: The Participant StageAs many married couple will tell you, the honeymoon doesn't last forever. There comes a time, usually sooner than we think, when the euphoria and playfulness begin to wane in the face of more practical matters.There are several emotions that accompany this third stage. You'll prabably feel disoriented because you don't know the "shortcuts"that the locals know. You'll be irritated because you can't find the products or services you need.You'll be confused because thehabits and rules for interaction are unfamiliar. You'll likely feelinadequate because you can't use the language like a native.The third obstacle---culture shockThe stages of cultural adjustmentStage four: The Shock StageThis might be called "everything is awful" stage of going abroad. It is an extension of the participation stage for those who fall prey to thefeelings of irritation, confusion and inadequacy.For some people, this stage is long and difficult; for others it is barely noticeable. People who fall into it may find that their work, whether in the classroom or the office, declines in quality, and it's hard to get motivated to accomplish anything. They may find themselvesfrequently feeling sick and even visiting the doctor more often than usual. In more extreme cases, the desire to pack up and go home may be overwhelming, and some even do just that.The third obstacle---culture shockThe stages of cultural adjustmentStage five: The Adaptation StageMost are able to work through the difficult fourth stage, and move on to the vastly more satisfying fifth stage, namely, adaptation.This comes for most people when they realize that most effective way to manage their frustration and anger is to try harder to understand the new people and institutions around them.This may involve buying and trying some strange things from the food market. It may involve attending some native language events like plays, lectues, or religious services. It may involve making a fewmore friends at the loval library, gym, or pub.In short, you have adapted. Your confidence has returned. You are again in touch with people. You are ready to stay awhileThe third obstacle---culture shockHave you ever experienced culture shock, for example, when moving to a new neighborhood or a new school? what were your feelings? How did you finally adapt to the new "culture"?。
