Acculturation
This blog is based on acculturation to a second culture. First at all, I want to share some important concepts regarding this topic.
- Acculturation
○ H. Douglas Brown states “the process of becoming adapted to a new culture” It’s necessary a reorientation of thinking and feeling as well as language.
- Culture Shock
○ H. Douglas Brown says that it refers to the phenomena ranging from irritability to psychological panic and crisis including estrangement, anger, hostility, indecision, frustration, unhappiness, loneliness, homesickness and even physical illness.
○ Peter Adler describes it as a “form of anxiety that results from the loss of commonly perceived and understood signs and symbols of social intercourse”
○ And, personally, the most accurate definition is given by George M. Foster who declares that “Culture shock is a mental illness, and as is true of much mental illness, the victim usually does not know he is afflicted. He finds he is irritable, depressed and probably annoyed by the lack of attention shown him”.
I defined culture, on my previous blog, as all the aspects that a determined group of people share, acquire and transmit from generation to generation. But I left aside the fact that even in a same country culture varies from town to town, even from family to family. There are many aspects that are general, shared by almost all people within that culture, but some others are just quite different as way of acting, behaving, talking. I was aware of it, but I did not realize it was true after my own culture shock within the same country.
Let me tell you about it…
While reading and studying about acculturation and culture shock, the main issue that was in my head over and over again, was just me. I was always thinking that I was being through this process, because, as I mentioned before, H. Douglas Brown says that acculturation is the process of becoming adapted to a new culture, and for me, a woman from Guápiles (a Limón town, an hour from San José), Heredia is a totally new culture. So, I will tell you how I passed through the acculturation stages stated by Brown.
☺ Excitement and euphoria over the newness of the surroundings. I have always lived, with my parents, in Guápiles (for about 22 years). I was very excited to be a little independent from my parents, at least on weekends. I was going to meet new people, new places. A complete unknown world was waiting for me in Heredia, just let’s enjoy it!
☼ Culture Shock. This stage emerges as the person feels the intrusion of more and more cultural differences into his own image of self and security. The main cultural difference, or the only one I can recall now, that I perceived was that most of the city people are always in a rush, and have no chance to talk to other people. I felt that way because when I was attending classes at the university, I usually arrived early, sat somewhere to smoke some cigarettes and watch people passing. But in Guápiles people greet each other, share some words and almost never are in a rush. I felt so out of place during my first day at the university in Heredia, that I was almost crying, I called many friends from Guápiles telling them that I hated Heredia, its windy weather, its slopes and its people. And all that happened to me in my first half an hour sitting, waiting for any relief. Then a friend from Guápiles, who is attending some classes with me, arrived and made me felt just a little bit better. I think I was feeling the same way, but at least I was not alone.
☻ Recovery. According to Larson and Smalley (1972) there is a period called Culture Stress, when some problems of acculturation are solved while other problems continue for some time. After my first week in Heredia, I told myself that it was not beneficial at all to keep in that way, especially if I have to spend, at least, two years in Heredia. For this reason, I started relating more with other people. I decided to go out in order to get familiar with the city and met some people. I went some places walking instead of paying taxis. I started enjoying the weather even I do not like how my hair gets so untidy because of the wind. I think I am getting a little accustom to be in Heredia, anyhow, it just for the weekend.
☺ Near or full recovery. It I an assimilation or adaptation, acceptance of the new culture and self-confidence. This is the last stage, but I have not passed through it yet. I consider that if a person overcomes the culture shock, it would not be a big problem recovering at all. Because, if we learn to enjoy the new experience, despite the emotions that could emerge during the culture shock, we could learn many meaningful aspects in regards to a second culture.
