Culture Shock - 1485 Words

Daniel Dhanaraj Descriptive Essay Culture Shock: An Integration in a New Country LIBS - 7001 February 21, 2011 The word ‘CULTURE’ has been derived from the Latin word ‘CULTURA’ which means to cultivate, to grow (Harper 2010). Anthropologist Edward B. Taylor, defines culture as â€Å"That complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits.† (O’Neil 2006). This is the basic premise that beliefs, morals, and customs are all based on one’s culture. In the essay, â€Å"No Place Like Home† by Neil Bissoondath, the author describes how multiculturalism creates uneasiness on different levels to immigrants in Canada. The author points that Canada’s Multicultural Act, focuses on cultural†¦show more content†¦Living in Bangalore, the food culture that I was exposed too was something I had never quite experienced before. The combinations of highly aromatic seasonings and flavours along with a mixture of hot, sour, sweet and salty dishes from different parts of India, we re all available within walking distance from my house. Every alternative day, I would have either breakfast, lunch, or dinner from the nearly dozen restaurants, cafes, and food stalls that had opened for business within three months since I arrived. This became sort of a hobby, sampling the variety of dishes available, one that I cherished the most. The booming economy and burgeoning development has made India more accessible to the world in-terms of tourism, business growth and quality of life for its citizens. Influences from North America and Europe and funding by the government has provided cities and towns all over the country with supermarkets, Walmart, that contain products from all over the world, mega shopping malls with the latest designer clothing such as Tommy Hilfiger, Louis Vuitton and many others, modern restaurants, bars, and clubs such as KFC, Subway, McDonald’s etc... In addition, people have more money to spend, especially the growing middle class as t he economy has grow rapidly since the late 90’s. I was surprised to witness, people of every ethnicity purchasing automobiles, high endShow MoreRelatedEssay on Culture Shock1163 Words   |  5 Pagesanswered with a smile â€Å"the heat is running aunty† whatever she meant I did not understand, although she spoke in English she had an American accent which took me long to adapt and decipher. My brother knowing that I will definitely experience culture shock, started giving me tidbits of what I would expect. I remember him saying â€Å"This is America my sister, they speak different here, many things have different names from home†. He then told me â€Å"open the trunk and offload your luggage â€Å"I responded â€Å"whereRead MoreThe Unknown : Culture Shock2100 Words   |  9 PagesThe Unknown†¦. Culture Shock Moving from a place that we are so familiar with into the unknown is a terrifying feeling we could experience. It is a terrifying feeling because we get attached to the place that we come to know and love. We are familiar with the streets that we drive on, and the houses around the neighborhood. We are familiar with the people around our surroundings. We know how to get from one place to another. It is a daily routine that we come are comfortable with however, we shouldRead MoreShock Culture Shock Essay5954 Words   |  24 PagesComparison of Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock Name: Cai Miaosen Instructor: Li Binbin 1. Introduction In recent years, the people who pursue their overseas studying have doubled in number. The overseas returnees also increase at a fast rate. Many people who have already got the foreign passport or the right of residence of other country gradually return to motherland to work and settle down. But unfortunately many of these people are suffering the varying degrees of culture shock or reverseRead MoreA True Culture Shock Essays867 Words   |  4 Pagesof different cultures, each one unique in its own respect. Culture; differentiate one societal group from another by identification beliefs, behaviors, language, traditions, Art, fashion styles, food, religion, politics, and economic systems. Through lifelong and ever changing processes of learning, creativity, and sharing, culture shapes our patterns of behavior and thinking. A culture’s significance is so profound that it touches almost every aspect of who and what we are. Culture becomes the telescopeRead MoreCulture Shock Essa y1136 Words   |  5 PagesCulture is defined by Stephen Bochner (2003) as different beliefs and values. From the beginning of the chapter, it is made clear that although there are many different definitions this is the most explicit. While focus is maintained on sojourners and tourists, the main idea is that changing cultures can have a major impact on the way people function. Boncher tends to stick to the idea that stress and anxiety can be heavily induced not only by encountering a different culture than an individualsRead MoreHow to Cope with Culture Shock1298 Words   |  6 PagesHow to Cope with Culture Shock | | | | | | * Front Page * What is h2g2? * Who s Online * Write an Entry * Browse * Announcements * Feedback * h2g2 Help * RSS Feeds | | | | | | | | Contact Us Like this page? Send it to a friend!    | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | In today s global economy, where major firms have branches in most areas of the world, many more people than ever before contemplate  living in anotherRead MoreCulture Shock Essay2172 Words   |  9 PagesOne of the biggest hindrances to people living in a new culture is the initial culture-shock that people experience, as well as the culture-stress that occurs as time progresses. When a person enters a new culture, there are many noticeable differences from his/her own culture. These differences have been labelled culture-shock and culture-stress. It is the initial differences, which is called culture-shock, that often cause worry, fear, and sometimes withdrawl. However, these can be easily overcomeRead MoreCulture Shock Of The United States Essay1537 Words   |  7 PagesCulture Shock has played a tremendous role in the growth of cultural ecology because it is an issue that is constantly growing all over the world. In the United States, it may not seem like things are changing involving culture shock, but it is not any different then the changes in places like Africa and China for example. It is developing equally across the world because there are now more ways to travel. So, what exactly is culture shock anyways? Well, it is known as going to a foreign or unfamiliarRead MoreCulture Shock By Peter L. Berger990 Words   |  4 PagesPeter L. Berger once said, â€Å"The sociologist routinely experiences culture shock in his own home.† The definition of cultural shock is when someone finds himself or herself in an environment that’s unfamiliar and someone doesn’t really know how to act or do. It is out of the person’s comfort zone and to try to fit and feel included in society, once must first face the uncertainty of how the unknown culture acts like. When the sociologist looks closely at these things, he finds unexpected motives,Read MoreCulture Shock : The United States Essay1397 Words   |  6 PagesCulture Shock: Immigration to America In 2010, as my sisters-in-law and their families prepared to immigrate to the United States (U.S.), my husband and I did all we can to advise and assist them in getting ready for their long journey from Nigeria to the U.S. To our surprise, contrary to every advice we gave them, in preparation for life in the US, they started out with trying American fast foods of different kinds. Culture shock is expected for anyone who immigrates to the US, regardless of where