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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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.”

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

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

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

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