Marisawright Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Culture shock is what hits you when you move to a new country. Everyone gets it to some extent - some for hours, some for days, some forever. It may hit you at once, or weeks after you arrive. If you don't understand it, it can get worse, until it destroys any chance of success in your new country. Here's a few articles that explain it: http://oregonstate.edu/international/atosu/resources/adjustment http://www.internations.org/magazine/what-is-culture-shock-15332 (that second link asks you to join up, but just close the pop-up and you'll be able to read the article). People with a bad case of culture shock are unable to see any good in their new country, and think of their old country with very rose-tinted glasses. They're not being nasty or stupid, they're suffering a well-established psychological phenomenon and they can't help it. They can't "snap out of it" and they can't be persuaded with logic to see how out-of-proportion their thinking is. It's very sad when people get to that stage after investing so much of their hopes and dreams (and money) in making the move - so it's crucially important to be aware of Culture Shock and not let it get to that stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Culture shock is what hits you when you move to a new country. Everyone gets it to some extent - some for hours, some for days, some forever. It may hit you at once, or weeks after you arrive. If you don't understand it, it can get worse, until it destroys any chance of success in your new country. Here's a few articles that explain it: http://oregonstate.edu/international/atosu/resources/adjustment http://www.internations.org/magazine/what-is-culture-shock-15332 (that second link asks you to join up, but just close the pop-up and you'll be able to read the article). People with a bad case of culture shock are unable to see any good in their new country, and think of their old country with very rose-tinted glasses. They're not being nasty or stupid, they're suffering a well-established psychological phenomenon and they can't help it. They can't "snap out of it" and they can't be persuaded with logic to see how out-of-proportion their thinking is. It's very sad when people get to that stage after investing so much of their hopes and dreams (and money) in making the move - so it's crucially important to be aware of Culture Shock and not let it get to that stage. More sweeping generalisations... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 To be honest - whilst Australia is not the UK in the sun, it is VERY similar. Same language, same food, same customs, same legal system, same driving rules. I can't think of a single country in the world that is more similar to the UK than Australia (maybe NZ?). Frankly, anyone who thinks they're suffering from culture shock in Australia should definitely go back to the UK and stay there - because they're clearly unsuited to living away from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikey Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I think it's good to know about this stuff.......thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 To be honest - whilst Australia is not the UK in the sun, it is VERY similar. Same language, same food, same customs, same legal system, same driving rules. I can't think of a single country in the world that is more similar to the UK than Australia (maybe NZ?). Frankly, anyone who thinks they're suffering from culture shock in Australia should definitely go back to the UK and stay there - because they're clearly unsuited to living away from home. Very much the case. Some folk are not suited to leave home. Australia is about as easy as it gets. Same language, laws, very large ex pat population. Hardly a cultural shook. That would apply moving to India, for example where sight and sense are being constantly challenged. Missing relatives and feeling lonely and difficulties on the work front or the hot sun, are hardly culturally inducing shocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikey Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I think I suffered from it when I moved 5 miles down the road!! :laugh::biglaugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernbird Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 The hardest move I ever made was when I moved from my small North Lancashire village to London at the age of 19. Packed up our Peugeot 205 with a couple of boxes and hit the M6. Now that was a bloody culture shock!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmab1995 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Mine wasnt culture shock , mine was shock to how my friends reacted when i told them i had cancer .... i had known these people 5 1/2 yrs there kids even called me aunty :shocked: ... And i got dropped like a lead ballon saw none of them once they found out , well not until i went through treatment and got the all clear ..... What they said was "we couldnt have coped if the out come was different " ...... made me feel great ( not ) ........ So hence my change in mind !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikey Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Charming! I suppose it was a way of saying they loved u but how strange! Do u treat friendships differently now? That must have really hurt just when u didnt need it...... Mine wasnt culture shock , mine was shock to how my friends reacted when i told them i had cancer .... i had known these people 5 1/2 yrs there kids even called me aunty :shocked: ... And i got dropped like a lead ballon saw none of them once they found out , well not until i went through treatment and got the all clear ..... What they said was "we couldnt have coped if the out come was different " ...... made me feel great ( not ) ........ So hence my change in mind !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmab1995 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 It did hurt Nikey :sad: .. At the time my hubby was working away 1 wk on 1 wk off so if it hadnt been for my mum n dad flying over i would have been in **** street ....... And they stayed for a yr bless them ...... Sadly i have since kept myself to myself and concertrated on my family ....xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikey Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Mmmmm.....I dont blame u! Bless your mum and dad:wub::hug: It did hurt Nikey :sad: .. At the time my hubby was working away 1 wk on 1 wk off so if it hadnt been for my mum n dad flying over i would have been in **** street ....... And they stayed for a yr bless them ...... Sadly i have since kept myself to myself and concertrated on my family ....xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cappuccino Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 To be honest - whilst Australia is not the UK in the sun, it is VERY similar. Same language, same food, same customs, same legal system, same driving rules. I can't think of a single country in the world that is more similar to the UK than Australia (maybe NZ?). Frankly, anyone who thinks they're suffering from culture shock in Australia should definitely go back to the UK and stay there - because they're clearly unsuited to living away from home. Very much the case. Some folk are not suited to leave home. Australia is about as easy as it gets. Same language, laws, very large ex pat population. Hardly a cultural shook. That would apply moving to India, for example where sight and sense are being constantly challenged. Missing relatives and feeling lonely and difficulties on the work front or the hot sun, are hardly culturally inducing shocks. Sorry but I disagree! I lived in France for several years, and have travelled a fair bit so I am definitely 'suited to leave home'. Furthermore I never experienced the slightest culture shock or homesickness until I got to Australia when it hit me really hard - it was so unexpected that it took me several months to even work out what was 'wrong' with me. It could be that because Australia is in a lot of ways very similar to the UK, but in others very different, that people get culture shock... Of course everyone is different, but I think Marisawright was making an important point as culture shock can strike when you're least expecting it. emmab1995, that's really disappointing of your friends. Glad you've beaten the cancer though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I migrated away from UK as a child and returned after I married and it was a big culture shock for me and my oh said I was a right pain in the a about it. Of course you do not realise you are doing it at the time. So its not a new thing, its just something that happens. Some of us just do not like change, others thrive on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Can't say I have ever felt any culture shock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Don't you just love it when people put words in your mouth. " everyone suffers from it eh?" Well I'm a person and I didn't so clearly that's not true! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritChickx Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Mine wasnt culture shock , mine was shock to how my friends reacted when i told them i had cancer .... i had known these people 5 1/2 yrs there kids even called me aunty :shocked: ... And i got dropped like a lead ballon saw none of them once they found out , well not until i went through treatment and got the all clear ..... What they said was "we couldnt have coped if the out come was different " ...... made me feel great ( not ) ........ So hence my change in mind !! What a load of effing bollox! Seriously! How selfish of them! I'm glad you are okay now. Culture shock? Nothing has been out of the ordinary for me, but I knew what it was like from last time. I can still get marmite here so i'm sorted :tongue: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I keep reading that Australia doesn't have a culture lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Don't you just love it when people put words in your mouth. " everyone suffers from it eh?" Well I'm a person and I didn't so clearly that's not true! Me neither. The place fitted me like a glove from the moment I arrived. Everyone suffers?. I didn't.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 More sweeping generalisations... No, it's a known syndrome and the symptoms are stated in the article. The point is, every country has good points and bad points. If someone finds themselves thinking that a country is 90% bad or 90% good (whether it's the UK or Australia), then they're being irrational, and it's probably because of culture shock. I attended a training course in this before I went to Africa so I'm quoting experts in the field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 (edited) Me neither. The place fitted me like a glove from the moment I arrived. Everyone suffers?. I didn't.. I loved Australia from the moment I arrived, too. However that just means my "culture shock" was so mild I didn't notice it - or my positive experiences were so positive, they overwhelmed any minor symptoms. For instance, if I had trouble sleeping, I probably thought it was excitement. The syndrome has been studied really extensively and psychiatrists do say everybody gets it. And it's important to acknowledge that, otherwise the people who get a bad case, are made to feel there's something wrong with them. And as someone else said, Australia seems so similar to the UK on the surface, most people wouldn't expect to have any difficulty at all - which means they're even more vulnerable, because they don't expect differences and can't cope with them. Edited February 1, 2014 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritChickx Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I've been having trouble sleeping too but I've been putting that down to the OH working away and being alone, and not having a good bed.... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MovingtoTasmania Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I'm not sure about culture shock but I do think people are too namby pamby nowadays and pampered. My aunt came to this country as a single parent with three young children in the 1950's, when there were hardly any Asians over here and didn't have a chance to get culture shock, homesickness or anything else. She didn't want to go back to East Africa where her family were and so she stuck it out over here, got a job, bought a house, the rest is history. Perhaps if people realised that once they made the move they had no choice but to stick it out, then they would go in to things in a different frame of mind. It's not a long holiday, it's normal life but in a different place, where things may or may not be different to what you're used too. You make a choice then stick with it and realise that if you choose not to stick with it, then you will inevitably end up paying the price in some way, be it financial, emotional or whatever. Perhaps, it's not culture shock, perhaps it's too easy to ping pong nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 (edited) If people move to another country and don't think there are going to be differences and then basically can't cope with those differences then quite frankly they should stay exactly where they are and never go anywhere even on holiday ! The type that if they do venture abroad go to Benidorm and seek out the first "Red Lion Pub" And as for so called experts charging people to come to seminars on that sort of clap trap well let's just say its money for old rope and a fool and his money are easily parted :eek: Edited February 1, 2014 by Que Sera, Sera Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Perhaps, it's not culture shock, perhaps it's too easy to ping pong nowadays. I've often thought that when reading these threads...and thinking about those who migrated post WW2. Six weeks on a ship, often in very crowded conditions. Then, for most, straight into a migrant camp or migrant hostel - basically a collection of tin sheds - until you found a job. If you didn't like it, years of saving to earn enough to pay a return fare. Ditto the cost of saving up for a holiday home. Letters took 6 weeks home by seamail...and 6 weeks back for a reply. No Skype, no internet, no UK TV...well, no TV at all for many...even international phone calls were too expensive and too difficult to organise for most people. Those were people who really had to be prepared for migration...and were definitely not namby pamby and pampered. :wubclub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 No, it's a known syndrome and the symptoms are stated in the article. The point is, every country has good points and bad points. If someone finds themselves thinking that a country is 90% bad or 90% good (whether it's the UK or Australia), then they're being irrational, and it's probably because of culture shock. I attended a training course in this before I went to Africa so I'm quoting experts in the field. Well it's lucky I didn't know about this syndrome when I went to Africa in the 1960's as a single female, and strangely enough managed to cope without a training course. I'm sorry but honestly having coped as the only 1 of 2 white stewardess at that time with plenty of difficult situations and having lived in a Muslim country for 9 years later on I think it's pretty pathetic that you need to go on a training course to prepare!! Perhaps my generation just got on with life without too much agonizing. Also as for coping with moving to OZ, obviously it's not for every one, and there are genuine reasons that it won't work out for everyone, especially if you can't find work, but those who have lived in each others family pockets all their lives should be bright enough to realize they might struggle here, without family support. Adjusting to a new country takes time, but for many it's worth it, and the ones who return to UK should be thankful that they have a country that is OK to return to. Most of my family came here from Africa and returning there is not much of an option, but perhaps that's why they have made a successful move here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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