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Monika Wrobel, Ph.D.
M17. People Across Cultures: An Introduction to Cross-Cultural Psychology

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INTERCULTURAL

INTERCULTURAL

ENCOUNTERS

ENCOUNTERS

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2

P

P

lural

lural

societ

societ

y

y



In a stark contrast with
unicultural society ( “one
culture, one people”)



2 views of plural societies

(Berry, 1998)



a “melting pot”

–

mainstream vs. minority



a “mosaic”

– multicultural

society

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Minority groups in plural

Minority groups in plural

societies

societies



Indigenous/native groups



Descendants of early immigrants



Immigrants



Sojourners



Forced migrants (refugees and asylum

seekers)

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Motives

Motives

for

for

migration

migration



Push factors



negative, constraining and exclusionary



e.g. poverty in a country of origin, political views



Pull factors



positive, facilitating and enabling



e.g. better educational or work perspectives in a host
country

Country of

origin

push factors

Host

country

pull factors

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Socialization

Socialization

and enculturation

and enculturation



Processes of cultural transmission.



Provide an individual with the skills and habits

necessary for acting and participating within the

culture.



Mechanisms that are

responsible for cultural

similarities and

differences.

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Acculturation

Acculturation

ACCULTURATION



A process that individuals
undergo in response to
the changing cultural
context.



Starts when an individual
start his/her life in a host
culture.



Clashes with an adult
role.

SOCIALIZATION AND

ENCULTURATION



Link developing
individuals to their
primary cultural contexts.



Start at the birth.



Proceed almost
unnoticed (integral part

of a child role).

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Acculturation

Acculturation

strategies

strategies

(

(

Berry

Berry

et al., 2003)

et al., 2003)

Maintenance of one’s

culture of origin

Seeking

for contact

with one’s

host

culture

assimilation

integration

separation

marginalization

Shedding of one’s

culture of origin

Isolation

from one’s

host

culture

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Cultural

Cultural

identity

identity



A complex set of beliefs and attitudes that people

have about themselves in relation to their culture.



2 dimensions of cultural identity:



identification with one’s heritage and ethnocultural

group;



identification with dominant society.

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I

I

dentity

dentity

dimensions and

dimensions and

acculturation strategies

acculturation strategies



A correlation between cultural identity and
acculturation strategies:



when both identifications are asserted



integration



when one feels neither of them



marginalization



when one’s own cultural maintenance is stronger than
involvement in other cultures



separation



when one’s own cultural maintenance is weaker than
involvement in other cultures



assimilation



Global vs. selective strategies

(“chameleon identity”)

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Multicultural societies

Multicultural societies



Widespread acceptance of cultural diversity
(

multicultural ideology

).



Relatively low level of prejudice (minimal
ethnocentrism, racism, and discrimination).



Positive mutual attitudes among ethnocultural
groups.



Sense of attachment to (or identification with) the
larger society by all individuals and groups.

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Culture

Culture

shock

shock



The term coined by Kalervo Oberg (1960).



The process of initial adjustment to an unfamiliar culture.



Indicators of culture shock:



familiar cues about how others are supposed to behave
are missing;



a person feels disoriented, anxious, depressed, or hostile;



social skills that used to work do not seem to work any
longer;



there is a sense that this horrible, nagging culture shock
will never go away.

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Causes

Causes

of

of

culture

culture

shock

shock



Daily hassles



Incomprehensible

culture code



Physical changes



Lack of resources and social support

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Cross

Cross

-

-

cultural communication

cultural communication

barriers

barriers

(

(

LaRay

LaRay

Barna,1982)

Barna,1982)



Language differences



Nonverbal communication



Stereotypes and prejudices



The tendency to evaluate behaviour of people

from the other culture as good or bad



High level of stress

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Some gestures to be careful with

Some gestures to be careful with

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Characteristics of

Characteristics of

c

c

ulture

ulture

shock

shock



Shock is usually…



sudden,



short-term,



intense.



But… culture shock is



gradual,



long-term,



cumulative.

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Stages of culture shock

Stages of culture shock



Honeymoon



Disorientation



Hostility



Adjustment



Biculturality





time

U-, J- and W-shaped

models of culture shock

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The ABC model of culture shock

The ABC model of culture shock

(1)

(1)

(

(

Bochner

Bochner

, 2003)

, 2003)



Affective component



Behavioral component



Instrumental adjustment

I know where to shop for what I need.



Interaction adjustment

I have no difficulty asking for directions.



Relational adjustment

I make friends with people of different ethnic
background.

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The ABC model of culture shock

The ABC model of culture shock

(2)

(2)

(

(

Bochner

Bochner

, 2003)

, 2003)



Cognitive component



Interest in other cultures

When I meet people different from me, I want to learn more
about them.



Tolerance for cultural differences

When I meet people from other cultures I easily accept the fact
that they differ from me.



Positive attitudes towards new or unusual cultural
environments

I believe I can live a fulfilling life in another culture.

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Factors determining the

Factors determining the

intensity of culture shock

intensity of culture shock

(1)

(1)



Culture distance between a culture of origin and a
host culture (similarity-attraction hypothesis)



Demographic variables



Age



Gender



Education



Personal factors



Openness to experience, extraversion, neuroticism



Locus of control, self-efficacy, dispositional optimism

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Factors

Factors

determining

determining

the

the

intensity

intensity

of

of

culture

culture

shock

shock

(2)

(2)



Reasons for migrating



Importance of goals that one wants to
achieve



Available resources and social support
networks



Previous experience

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Tips for dealing with

Tips for dealing with

cultur

cultur

e

e

shock

shock

(1)

(1)



Prepare yourself for new
experience.



Analyze your
expectations.



Identify available
resources and social
support networks.

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Tips for dealing with

Tips for dealing with

cultur

cultur

e

e

shock

shock

(2)

(2)



Try to overcome cross-cultural communication barriers



Ask for clarification if you are not sure what someone is saying.



Do not assume you understand non-verbal signals until you get
to know their meanings.



Make every effort to increase the awareness of your own
stereotypes and realize that you will often be treated according to
the stereotype.



Do not judge someone from another culture by your own cultural
values.



Accept the ambiguity of cross-cultural situations.



Learn from your experiences.

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P

P

hases

hases

of re

of re

-

-

entry

entry

shock

shock

(re

(re

-

-

acculturation)

acculturation)



Excitement



Frustration



Sense of Control



Re-adaptation