大学英语大学英语跨文化交际跨文化交际

Chapter 9

Intercultural Adaptation

黑龙江大学外语部

Preservation of one's own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.

— Cesar Chavez

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Learning ObjectivesIn this chapter, students will learn how to: 1. understand the definition and  modes of acculturation, as well as the factors affecting acculturation 2. master the definition, symptoms, forms and effects of culture shock 3. comprehend the definition and stages of intercultural adaptation, which includes the U-curve and W-curve patterns. 4. distinguish culture shock and intercultural adaptation 5. develop some strategies for avoiding culture shock and engaging in intercultural adaptation

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Chapter OutlineChapter Outline

Intercultural Adaptation

Acculturation Culture shock Intercultural Adaptation

Definition

Stages

U-Curve Pattern

W-Curve

Pattern

Strategies for

Definition

Modes

Factors

Symptoms

Forms

Effects

Avoiding Culture shock

Engaging in Intercultural Adaptation

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Lead-in Case: Lead-in Case: DoubtsDoubts

1. Why does Wu Lian at first feel proud but later

depressed?

2. What causes her so many troubles?

3. If you were Wu Lian, would you also feel the

same way and how would you deal with the problems?

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AcculturationAcculturation

▲ Pre-reading Task: If you go abroad now, what kinds of situations will you

be in and what kinds of relationships can you develop with people of that culture? Please list some possible results:

Positive Negative

PossibleResults

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Acculturation（文化适应） refers to an individual’s learning and adopting the norms and values of the new host culture.

1.1.The definition of acculturation The definition of acculturation

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2. Modes of acculturation 2. Modes of acculturation

a.  Assimilation

b.  Integration

c.  Separation and Segregation

d.  Marginalization (边缘化 )

is a process in which members of an ethnic group are absorbed into the dominant culture, losing their culture in the process.

is a process of desiring a high level of interaction with the host culture while maintaining identity with their native culture.

Marginalization occurs when the individual chooses not to identify with his or her native culture or with the host culture.

Separation is when individuals prefer low levels of interaction with the host culture and associated microcultural groups while desiring a close connection with, and reaffirmation of, their native culture. If such separation is initiated and enforced by the dominant society, this is called segregation.

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The Process of AcculturationThe Process of Acculturation

Home New

Separation Assimilation Marginalization

Segregation

Integration

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Factors Affecting Acculturation

Communication Host Environment Predisposition

Personal Communication

Social Communication

Host Receptivity

Host Conformity Pressure

Ethnic Group Strength

Preparedness

Ethnicity

Personality

3. Factors Affecting Acculturation

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▲Pre-reading Task:

Have you ever experienced any strange situations? What were your responses? Tell them to your group members and discuss why you had certain feelings or responses towards these situations.

It refers to the traumatic experience that an individual may encounter when entering a different culture.

Culture Shock

Culture ShockCulture Shock

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1. Symptoms of culture shock 1. Symptoms of culture shock

a. physical symptoms

b. psychological symptoms

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a. physical symptoms

Physical symptoms are over-concern about cleanliness of food, bedding, and dishes, extreme stress on health and safety; fear or physical contact with anyone in the new country; great concern over minor pains and skin eruptions; craving “home cooking”; use of alcohol and drugs; and a decline in work quality.

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Home cooking Home cooking

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b. psychological symptoms

Psychological symptoms are insomnia, fatigue, isolation and loneliness, disorientation, frustration, criticism of new country, depression, nervousness, self-doubt, irritability, anger, and emotional and intellectual withdrawal.

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2. Forms of Culture Shock 2. Forms of Culture Shock

a. Language Shock

b. Role Shock

c. Transition Shock

d. Cultural Fatigue

e. Education Shock

f. Adjustment Stress

g. Culture Distance

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a. Language Shock

Language shock occurs when we are unfamiliar with the host language. Many sociorelational cues lie in the domain of human language. If we do not understand the language, we lose the ability to adjust ourselves to the new symbolic environment.

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b. Role Shock

Role shock refers to the feeling of loss of personal status in an ambiguous new environment in which we make efforts to switch our role in order to fit and function well in the host culture.

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c. Transition shock

Transition shock is used to describe the distress we experience when trying to cope with the multitude of changes required by the host culture. It is similar to the state of losing a close family member, divorce, or geographic relocation.

d. Culture fatigue

Culture fatigue is used to describe the physical and psychological discomforts experienced by sojourners trying to adapt to a new culture.

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e. Education shock

Education shock is frequently used to describe what happens to international students who try to adapt themselves to academic life, especially when the learning situation is new and distressing.

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f. Adjustment stress

Adjustment stress is a term used to indicate bodily physical tension that signals a person’s readiness to face the challenges of the new cultural environment.

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g. Culture distance

Culture distance refers to the distance between a sojourner’s culture and the host culture and signals the degree of alienation, estrangement, and psychological distress the sojourner feels as a result.

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3. Effects of culture shock 3. Effects of culture shock

Physical Symptoms

Psychological Symptoms

CultureShock

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Intercultural AdaptationIntercultural Adaptation

▲ Pre-reading Task:

Consult someone from your culture who has been living in another culture for a relatively long period of time. Ask him/her to tell you his/her feelings and experiences when he/she was in that culture.

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a.Definition of intercultural adaptation

b.Stages of intercultural adaptation

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Intercultural adaptation refers broadly to the process of increasing our level of fitness to meet the demands of a new cultural environment.

1. Definition 1. Definition

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2. Stages of Intercultural 2. Stages of Intercultural Adaptation Adaptation

U-curve Pattern Honeymoon Period Crisis PeriodAdjustment PeriodBiculturalism Period

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W-Curve PatternW-Curve Pattern

Reverse Culture Shock Reverse Culture Shock

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Activity: Quiz Imagine that you are going to a large urban American university for graduate study. To evaluate your adaptation

potential, rate yourself on the adaptation checklist. Give yourself a score for each item according to the following scale:

1. Poor 2. Not as good as most people 3. Average 4. Better than most people 5. ExcellentAdaptation Checklist Total score Background and Preparation Age — youth is an advantage Education — the higher the better Urban background — city dwellers do better than rural residents High level of professional skill General knowledge of the new culture, its history, custom arts, etc. Specific knowledge of the new situation; city, university, etc. Oral and written fluency in the language of new culture Previous out-of-culture experiences Similarity of home culture to new culture Personality factors Tends to be accepting of different ways of doing things Likes to meet new people and do new things Stays calm in difficult situations Pays attention to people and not just to tasks Can tolerate ambiguous or uncertain situations Has a sense of humor Strong but flexible in character Willing to take risks; not too concerned about social and psychological security Attitudes and motivation Voluntarily chooses to be in contact with the new culture Attracted to the new situation rather than escaping problems at home Admiration and respect for the new culture No sense that one culture s superior or inferior to another Few stereotypes (inaccurate broad generalizations) about the new culture Health Robust good health Good health habits High energy level

Strategies for Avoiding Culture Shock Strategies for Avoiding Culture Shock and Engaging in Intercultural and Engaging in Intercultural AdaptationAdaptation▲Pre-reading Task:

Please role-play the following scenario: A is an American student who comes to China to go on with his higher education and he has been in China for 3 months. Now he finds that he sometimes has communication problems with Chinese people and feels very low. B is an American student who has been in China for over 3 years and he tries to comfort A and also tells A how to overcome such problems.

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a. Study the Host Culture

b. Study the Local Environment

c. Learn Basic Verbal and Nonverbal Language Skills

d. Develop Intercultural Relationships

e. Maintain an Intimate Social Network

f. Assume the Principle of Difference

Strategies for Avoiding Culture Shock and Engaging in Intercultural Adaptation

 

3

3

3

3

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g. Anticipate failure events

Home work and After-class activities

1. Surf on the Internet to collect the information about culture shock.

2. Summarize the strategies on how to avoid culture shock and engage in intercultural adaptation.

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Now, let’s summarize Now, let’s summarize the key points the key points

of this chapter! of this chapter!

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Thank you! Thank you!