Cultural Rehydration: A Layman’s Guide to Dealing with Culture Shock by Dr. Gerald W. Anthony - HTML preview

Cultural Rehydration: A Layman’s Guide to Dealing with Culture Shock
By:
Gerald W. Anthony, PhD
Edited by:
Lee Seetoo

 

Copyright © 2009 by Gerald W. Anthony

 

CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Introduction 4
Why the Metaphor?
Chapter 2: The Cultural Adaptation Cycle 8
The Evaluation Stage
The Interpretation Stage
The Application Stage
The Readjustment Stage
Chapter 3: Pre-Departure 20
Chapter 4: In Country 27
Cultural Rehydration Therapy
Chapter 5: Returning Home 37
List of Figures 43
Works Cited 44

Copyright © 2009 by Gerald W. Anthony

 

Chapter 1: Introduction

 

Life does not always go as expected. One day friends were coming to a dinner I

 

had planned and I realized after the first guest arrived that I needed more money for the

 

occasion. I asked my friend to wait at my apartment for the other guests while I went to

 

the bank to make a withdrawal.

 

In the country where I was living at the time, families commonly use bicycles for

 

transportation rather than cars. I hopped on (not in) my vehicle and rushed off to the

 

bank. I turned on the “heat” (that is, I started to pedal faster) and after a few blocks, I

 

arrived. I descended from my bicycle, grabbed my lock, and fastened it around my back

 

tire.

 

I ran into the bank as fast as I could so as not to keep my guests waiting too long

 

and quickly handled my banking matters. When I came out, I reached for the key to

 

unlock my bike. In my left trouser pocket there was only loose change. The right pocket

 

was empty. Finally, I examined my back pockets only to realize that I did not have my

 

key. It had not fallen out of my pocket, but was back in my apartment.

 

I weighed my options. Should I call my friend for the key and listen to mockery

 

for a few hours or try to get the locked bike home somehow? Sad to say, I chose to move

 

the bike. Unfortunately, I have my pride. Because the rear wheel was locked, I raised

 

the back of the bike, tipped it forward and pushed. It was like being in a three-legged

 

race with no competition.

 

As I walked down the street everyone stared at me and whispered, “Look at that

 

foreigner! What is he doing?” If was as if they were in the US or Western Europe

 

watching someone try to hotwire a car on the street. Yes, it must have seemed that I was Copyright © 2009 by Gerald W. Anthony

 

stealing a bike! I just ignored the comments and continued walking faster trying to make

 

it home. I arrived at the door sweating and out of breath. My shirt was three shades

 

darker from my perspiration and my hand was beet red from gripping my handlebars.

 

After listening to my adventure, my friend laughed and said, “Why didn’t you just call

 

me?” I knew why. There was one reason and one reason only: all because of my male

 

pride. (Anthony, 2007).

 

Expatriates are people who voluntarily live outside their native countries. I have

 

been an expatriate since 2002 and have experienced quite a number of cases where

 

therapeutic processing would be helpful, not only to me, but to fellow expats around the

 

world. This book examines struggles in preparation, living, and returning to different

 

countries and strategies to effectively increase coping mechanisms and survival¹ through

 

the use of real-life stories (labeled Hydration Checkpoints), personal psychological

 

application exercises using an accompanying workbook, and a very practical metaphor –

 

Cultural Hydration.

 

Why the Metaphor?

 

Our bodies need water to survive. The majority of the human body is water (an

 

average of 60%) so it is vital that we replenish this resource frequently in order to

 

maintain our ability to function. Dehydration is a medical condition in which the body

 

lacks an adequate supply of water to function properly. Our bodies lose water as we

 

breathe, sweat, urinate, or suffer from vomiting or diarrhea. When the amount of water ¹ In case of emergencies, this book does not substitute for professional counselors. Please contact a professional counselor if you are dealing with an emergency.
Copyright © 2009 by Gerald W. Anthony

 

we lose is greater than the amount we take in, we become dehydrated. This is usually a

 

process that happens over time and not a sudden event because, in the short-term, if our

 

body lacks water, we have natural defense mechanisms to compensate. We get thirsty,

 

signaling the need to drink. Our kidneys reduce the water in our urine; it becomes more

 

concentrated and darker in color when we are dehydrated. Other symptoms of

 

dehydration include dry mouth, headaches, increased heart rate, inability to sweat or

 

produce tears, muscle cramps, vomiting, lightheadedness, and confusion. Dehydration

 

can be treated by gradually increasing the amount of liquid in our body by repeatedly

 

drinking small amounts or through IV drips; however, the greatest cure for dehydration is

 

prevention. Without proper hydration, the body will break down and slowly cease to

 

function (Medicine.net, 2009).

 

Cultural paralysis is a condition experienced by expatriates that causes them to

 

feel unable to function in a foreign environment. Like dehydration, it is usually a process

 

that has developed over time, and can cause changes in the mind and body. The body can

 

compensate for the discomfort of the environment for short-periods of time, but if not

 

properly handled, the body and mind tend to break down. Once paralysis takes place,

 

recovery takes place through frequent small doses of therapeutic exercises. Because of

 

its similarities to dehydration, cultural paralysis can be considered cultural dehydration,

 

and the cure is cultural rehydration.

 

To determine how much of our body composition is water, there are various

 

formulas that take into account age, height, and weight. Similarly, there are key variables

 

we can use to calculate how culturally hydrated or dehydrated we are. Expatriates

 

Copyright © 2009 by Gerald W. Anthony planning to live in or visit a new culture must understand the reality of both obvious and

 

subtle factors that will allow them to thrive in an overseas environment.

 

The first step to overcoming dehydration is to understand the normal process of

 

hydration. If we do not understand that our bodies need water, how can we solve the

 

problem of dehydration? The same is true for cultural dehydration. If we do not first

 

understand the natural processes that our minds and bodies go through when we enter

 

foreign cultures, then it will be hard to remedy cultural dehydration and allow cultural

 

rehydration.

 

In the next chapter, we will discuss the Cultural Adaptation Process that

 

expatriates experience in a new cultural environment. The stresses of that process can

 

and often do lead to cultural dehydration. In the three chapters after that, we will learn

 

techniques that will serve as hydrators in cases of cultural dehydration.

 

Are you ready to get culturally hydrated?

 

Copyright © 2009 by Gerald W. Anthony

 

Chapter 2: The Cultural Adaptation Process

 

The Cultural Adaptation Process (or Hydration Cycle) is a four-stage process that

 

occurs within individuals as they adjust to a new culture and experiences in that new

 

culture. The four stages are: (1) The Evaluation Stage, (2) The Interpretation Stage, (3)

 

The Application Stage, and (4) The Readjustment Stage.

 

Hydration Checkpoint

 

I once had the pleasure of being the local contact for a group of new expatriates

 

arriving in the country where I resided half a world away from their home. These

 

individuals had been contacting me for weeks with various questions on just about

 

everything imaginable. Their arrival day came and I picked them up at the airport and

 

took them to their respective homes after a good meal. During dinner that evening there

 

were various emotions at the table. Some people were excited, others were anxious, and

 

others were absolutely terrified. It was all normal.

 

One week later I decided to make a surprise visit to each new expat to make them

 

feel welcome with a small house warming present of fruit. As I went to each person’s

 

home, they were thrilled to see me. I would chat a while, see how they were adjusting,

 

and then move on to the next residence. When I arrived at the last one, I knocked on the

 

door and waited for a response. There was none. I knocked again thinking maybe

 

nobody was home. After the second knock, I heard a faint voice. It seemed as if I had

 

disrupted an afternoon nap. The door opened and my mouth dropped. Was this the same

 

person I had picked up from the airport? I handed the basket of fresh apples, oranges,

 

bananas, and local exotic fruit to the new expatriate. Without even inviting me in, the

 

Copyright © 2009 by Gerald W. Anthony person snatched the bag of fruit from my hands and began to devour each piece of fruit

 

one by one, chunk by chunk. I stepped inside and sat down on a short wooden stool.

 

When the expatriate was finished, I asked in a voice mixing sarcasm and disbelief, “So,

 

how was the first week?” After a deep breath and a wipe of the mouth with a shirt sleeve,

 

the expat said, “Thanks for coming by. I haven’t eaten in a week!”

 

The Evaluation Stage

 

The first stage of the Cultural Hydration Cycle is the Evaluation Stage. When an

 

individual arrives in a new culture, or discovers a new facet of the culture, the first action

 

that takes place is an assessment or evaluation of resources and environment. Resources

 

can be divided into three main categories: (1) Personal Resources, (2) Social Resources,

 

and (3) Material Resources² (Schultz and Schwarzer, 2001, p. 4).

 

Personal Resources include characteristics and experiences of the individual, such

 

as personality, mental processes, and working experience. Social Resources include all

 

formal and informal relationships. Working and professional relationships are formal

 

relationships; family, friends, and all other relationships not defined as formal are

 

informal. Finally, Material Resources are all tangible resources that can be consumed by

 

the individual, such as food, shelter, and money. These three types of resources will be

 

evaluated immediately upon entering a new culture or a new cultural situation.

 

In addition to evaluating resources, the individual also evaluates the environment,

 

which can be divided into two aspects: (1) Flexible and (2) Relatively Inflexible.

 

Flexible refers to aspects of the environment that can be changed in the short term by an ² See Exercise 2 in The Cultural Rehydration Workbook.
Copyright © 2009 by Gerald W. Anthony

 

individual or group acting in the environment, like the economy, fashion, and slang.

 

Relatively Inflexible refers to aspects of the environment that change only very slowly

 

over long periods of time, like the fundamental culture or national language, and would

 

include population and climate. Since you can’t expect to exert much influence over

 

Relatively Inflexible aspects of the environment, you are better off trying to accept and

 

adapt to them. Figure 2.1 graphs the Evaluation Stage of the Cultural Adjustment Cycle

 

(Anthony, 2009).

Personal Resources Resources Social Resources
Material Resources Evaluate
Environment Flexible Environment
Relatively Inflexible
Environment

Figure 2.1 The Evaluation Stage

 

The individual evaluates resources and the environment primarily through

 

observation and secondary informational resources (information shared personally by

 

others or found in written form). After evaluation, the individual continues to the next

 

stage, the Interpretation Stage.

 

Hydration Checkpoint

 

Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus. Americans are from America

 

and Patagonians are from Patagonia. These two sentences contrast different people and

 

places, but with the same meaning. I experienced this one night when I was out dancing

 

with some coworkers.

 

We entered a room about one hundred square meters in area. This was the local

 

club. To us foreigners it looked more like a vacant office. In the front of the room was a

 

Copyright © 2009 by Gerald W. Anthony bar. In the left and right corners dangled black concert-sized speakers. The rest of the

 

room was open space with coffee-colored wooden tiled floors for dancing. There was no

 

disc jockey, simply a “greatest hits” cassette playing on repeat.

 

At first the dance floor was empty. The thirty or so people present were quietly

 

chatting while sipping their drinks. Then the first song came on – a group dance that

 

included instructions on how to do the dance. The atmosphere was immediately

 

energized. Everyone ran out on the dance floor and lined up. The nationals grabbed us

 

foreigners with screams of, “I love this song!” Confused and at the same time eager to

 

try new things, we also ran out on the dance floor. The volume of the song softened, and

 

then the singer in the local language gave the instructions. We foreigners could not

 

understand a single word, but the broadening smiles were a language we could

 

understand. The people lined up in a circle and began to scream louder with enthusiasm.

 

We joined the circle as the beat began to grow louder. The drums began to pulse

 

and the singer was no longer talking, but singing. As we began to watch the movements

 

of the nationals, we began to recognize the melody and the movements. Screams of joy

 

surrounded us. It was the hokey-pokey! Putting our egos aside we began to dance.

 

A national beside me asked, “Am I right?” I replied, “Yes.” As I continued

 

dancing, the question was repeated, “Am I right?” I looked at her movements and replied

 

again, “Yes.” When she asked a third time, I understood that my interpretation of the

 

question was incorrect. In fact it was not a question at all. The national was telling me,

 

“I am right; follow me. You are dancing incorrectly.”

 

Copyright © 2009 by Gerald W. Anthony

 

The Interpretation Stage

 

The Interpretation Stage consists of the individual creating “Labels of

 

Belonging,” in various areas to identify a respective place in the new culture. Labels of

 

Belonging are mental processes an individual goes through to make a judgment of high or

 

low inclusion in regard to a specific aspect. Labels of Belonging apply to three areas: (1)

 

Class Placement, (2) Language Placement, and (3) the Ability to Gather Information.

 

Class Placement establishes a ranking in such areas as power, authority, wealth,

 

working and living conditions, life-styles, life span, religion, education, and culture

 

(Cody, 2002). The distinction between inequalities leads to the creation of superior and

 

inferior groups in each category. Secondly, Language Placement allows individuals to

 

put a label on how well they can communicate in the culture by speaking the new

 

country’s language, listening, reading, and writing. Finally, individuals interpret their

 

Ability to Gather Information. The weaker the individual’s Ability to Gather Information,

 

the lower their self-placement becomes. Each of the three areas of interpretation can be

 

assessed as High or Low. (Intermediate is not commonly considered in a quick

 

assessment: the individual quickly develops either a High or Low self-identification.)

 

After each area is interpreted, a general interpretation is created from the Labels of

 

Belonging to form an Estimate of Probability of Success.³ Figure 2.1 shows a visual representation of The Interpretation Stage. ³ See Exercise 3 in The Cultural Rehydration Workbook.
Copyright © 2009 by Gerald W. Anthony

Class Placement Label of Belonging High or Low

Language Placement Label of Belonging High or Low

Estimate of Probability of Success High or Low

Ability to Gather Information Label of Belonging High or Low

Figure 2.1 The Interpretation Stage

 

To arrive at an Estimate of High or Low Probability of Success, the number of

 

Highs and Lows from the Labels of Belonging are tallied. Since there are an odd number

 

of Labels of Belonging and no intermediate answers, the composite estimate of

 

Probability of Success in the new culture must ultimately be either High or Low. After

 

an estimate is reached, the individual moves on to the Application Stage.

 

Hydration Checkpoint

 

Traffic patterns can vary among regions within a country. To an even greater

 

extent they can vary between different countries. Some countries drive on the left side of

 

the road, others on the right. Some countries have aggressive traffic laws (or

 

enforcement), while other countries are more relaxed.

 

In a conversation with an expat friend about the challenges of living abroad, I

 

brought up the issue of adjusting to time differences since I had been having trouble

 

sleeping for several nights. My friend tabled my concern by assuring me that I would

 

eventually acclimate and then turned the conversation to another problem. “Why does

 

Copyright © 2009 by Gerald W. Anthony nobody seem to stop at a red light? Why do cars drive on the sidewalk?” Both were very

 

good questions. In response, I asked my friend, “What are you going to do about it?”

 

Slightly shocked by my directness, my friend paused for a moment to consider and

 

answered, “I am going to obey the traffic laws and watch others change with me.”

 

The Application Stage

 

The Application Stage is the where individuals be