culture shock
- Noun:
- A state of confusion, anxiety, or disorientation: This state is experienced by a person who is suddenly exposed to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes, often when moving to a new country or environment.
The term "culture shock" describes the psychological and emotional adjustment process when encountering a new cultural environment. It is typically used to discuss the difficulties of adapting to life in a foreign country. It is a non-count noun and is not typically pluralized.
- Noun:
- Many international students experience culture shock during their first few months abroad.
- Moving from a small village to a huge metropolis gave him a severe case of culture shock.
- The company provides training to help employees minimize culture shock when relocating overseas.
"to experience culture shock": to go through the feeling of disorientation in a new culture.
- She experienced culture shock when she noticed how direct the communication style was.
"to suffer from culture shock": to be significantly affected by the difficulties of cultural adjustment.
- He suffered from culture shock for nearly a year before he started to feel at home.
"reverse culture shock": the disorientation felt when returning to one's home culture after adapting to a foreign one.
- After living in Japan for a decade, she faced reverse culture shock upon moving back to her home country.
Cultural adjustment (n): The broader process of adapting to a new culture, of which culture shock is a phase.
- The cultural adjustment period can be challenging but rewarding.
Acculturation (n): The process of cultural change and psychological change that results from meeting between cultures.
- Acculturation involves adapting to a new culture while retaining aspects of one's original culture.
- Disorientation: A state of confusion about one's surroundings or situation.
- Alienation: A feeling of being isolated or estranged from one's environment or social group.
- Culture shock symptoms: The specific feelings and reactions associated with culture shock, such as homesickness, irritability, or fatigue.
- Common culture shock symptoms include frustration with the new language and a longing for familiar food.
- "It's a whole new world": An expression often used to describe the overwhelming feeling of encountering a vastly different culture, similar to the initial phase of culture shock.
- When I arrived, everything was so different—it was a whole new world.
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a condition of disorientation affecting someone who is suddenly exposed to an unfamiliar culture or way of life or set of attitudes
