Adjusting to a New Culture

1
Adjusting to a New Culture
UMass Dartmouth International Student Scholar
Orientation
2
Reality is a product of language and culture
thats what I learned. ---Richard Wiley,
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Korea
3
What is Culture?

• A cultural group has a common understanding of
  how to think, feel, believe, and act.
• It can be cognitive and abstract, for example
  ethics, values and religion.
• You can sense it physically, for example in the
  foods eaten, verbal language, and body language.
• Culture tells us who we are and gives us
  attitudes about them or people different from
  us.

4
Only 1/8 is visible
The iceberg metaphor
A much larger invisible part is hiding below!!!
5
How cultures evolved...
Humans create culture.
Many different cultures have evolved over the
centuries, and sometimes in isolation.
Each cultural group found ways to meet their
different needs.
Thats why different cultures may handle the same
situation differently.
However, THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTE RIGHT OR WRONG
when it comes to cultural diversity!!!!!!!!!!
6
What happen when two different cultures come
together?
7
Culture Shock

• Culture Shock is a stressful period of
  adjustment that occurs when a person from one
  culture stays in another culture for an extended
  period of time.

8
(No Transcript)
9
Four Stage of Culture Shock
We can help!
10
The American Culture
11
American Sports

• Soccer vs. Football
• Baseball

12
Let us tell you about our culture.....
Classroom setting
Personal Hygiene
Slang
Social
Time
Gender and Appropriate Behavior
Body Art
Alcoholic Beverages
13
...Good luck with your journey...