Culture shock is an inevitable phenomenon for those who wander beyond their comfort zones. Zero degree of preparation can prepare one to a new way of life and thinking without experiencing feelings of culture shock. 

 

 

According to Milton Bennett, culture shock, primarily recognized as ‘intercultural sensitivity,’ is a phenomenon that consists of six stages one emotionally transcends throughout their journey. This process is essentially the transition from ethnocentrism to ethnorelativism, from seeing one's own culture as superior to seeing the differences between cultures having value. Bennett defines the six steps to this intercultural sensitivity as denial, defense, minimization, acceptance, adaptation, and integration (Bennett, 2017). The understanding of each stage is rather diverse and can encompass quite a bit of thinking and rhetoric. 

 

In this article, there will also be first-hand experience from a college student, Bridgette Abernathy,  regarding culture shock while studying abroad in China and Vietnam. From this experience, she gained vast amounts of knowledge and intercultural development.

 

 

In the first stage of culture shock, denial occurs when one lacks recognition for distinct differences among cultures or considers them irrelevant at best. Denial can also be evident as a clear disinterest or avoidance to other cultures. Within the category of denial, you can find generalizing comments and statements such as “foreigners,” “immigrants,” or “Do they have toilets in Africa?”

 

While in the second stage, defense, characteristics are seeing other cultures in a “polarized, competitive, zero-sum, or us-against-them terms, when they exalt their own culture over the culture of others, or when they feel victimized or attacked in discussions about bias, bigotry, or racism,” (Bennett, 2017). Defense can also present itself as a way to oppress other cultures, taking away the chance for equal access or opportunity. 

 

Minimization of cultural differences happens when people assume their cultural worldview is shared by others, view their values as universal, or downplay the importance of cultural differences. It often includes dismissing cultural differences by focusing on human similarities, which can hinder personal biases and obscure efforts to understand other cultures. This mindset can lead to ignoring or oversimplifying conflicts like racism, gender bias, or cultural prejudice. 

 

Acceptance, the fourth stage, is when individuals recognize differences in values and beliefs that are shaped by cultures, different behavior patterns exist among varying cultures, “and that other cultures have legitimate and worthwhile perspectives that should be respected and valued,” (Bennett, 2017). Bennett emphasizes that acceptance doesn’t require agreeing with or endorsing other cultures' values or behaviors; rather, it involves acknowledging that different cultural worldviews exist, influence values and behaviors, and that one’s own values are also culturally shaped. 

 

The fifth stage, adaptation, occurs when individuals can understand, empathize with, and interact authentically with people from other cultures. It involves being able to engage in meaningful and respectful cultural exchanges and fostering inclusive environments where cross-cultural teamwork can thrive. Described by Bennett, this process is different from assimilation, where one loses their own cultural identity to adopt that of another. 

 

Lastly, the sixth stage of integration “occurs when someone’s identity or sense of self evolves to incorporate the values, beliefs, perspectives, and behaviors of other cultures in appropriate and authentic ways”. (Bennett, 2017). Integration, as Bennett describes, involves experiencing oneself as a multicultural individual who can navigate various cultural contexts.

 

 

Bridgette Abernathy, a current senior at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is studying political science to one day teach English abroad. She had the experience of traveling to Vietnam and China for educational purposes over the summer of 2024. In addition to her education, she gained an abundance of cultural experience. When embracing any new culture with optimism, there will also come the shock of a new culture, a phenomenon Abernathy knows all too well about. 

 

In this interview, she gives her best tips on navigating culture shock and experiences from her first-hand experience.

 

Everything I learned about Vietnamese culture came from my professors and some independent research that I specifically looked into. I knew absolutely nothing about East Asia, so I definitely had the most culture shock going to Vietnam. For China, I knew more about Asian culture at that point because of my trip to Vietnam. But, given that I knew very little about the trip itself, I made sure to look at videos online and I talked to a few people who I knew had been to China.

 

The only time that I spoke about my own culture or my life experience was when we met university students. On both trips, students were very eager to learn about us. However, even then we were sharing our experiences, and I was eager to learn about their lives as well. When you talk to people, you realize you have a lot more in common and then you may realize it first. Personally, I’ve never felt a strong sense of national identity, and I’ve always been more interested in other cultures. If anything, I feel the most patriotic when I’m in other countries. This isn’t because I miss my country, but rather because I feel obligated to represent my country in a positive fashion.

 

 

In China, they let us try on traditional HanFu clothing. They dressed us, took pictures for us, and taught us about the history of the clothing. In another city, they also dressed us in Xifu, which is traditional opera clothing. They dressed us in the middle of the street and we walked around as people took pictures of us. 

 

We also attended the Vasaloppet Ski race, which was a big deal for the city of Changchun. Lastly, we also learned how to make traditional Chinese medicine and put them in pouches to hang at our bedside. In Vietnam, we met university students who taught us traditional Vietnamese games where you jump over with a partner. They also taught us how to make sugarcane treats.

 

I was most shocked by the lifestyle in Vietnam. The cities are extremely busy, while the countryside is completely different. We visited a temple in the middle of a really small village, and I was shocked that they had something so grand in the middle of fields. I was also shocked by the amount of schools that take children out and about during the day. We were approached multiple times by little kids, asking to speak English with us. This was common throughout the entire country. 

 

Motorbikes are also very common in Vietnam, sometimes whole families will be on one bike at a time. Traffic also never stops for pedestrians; you quite literally just have to walk in the middle of it. In China, the biggest culture was that every meal we had was family style. We never ordered individually. Food was brought to us on big platters and put on a spinning table so we all just took what we wanted.

 

 

My experiences have definitely shaped my outlook on life. My trip showed me how fast the world is and also changed my career trajectory. I believe that education is a human right and seeing the need for education in these countries is automatically what made me pursue a career teaching English abroad. I also adopted a lot of the cuisine that I had abroad. I drink a lot more tea now and I’m not as afraid to try new foods. I also don’t approach politics with as strong of a western lens anymore. As a poli-sci major, that’s a really important mindset shift to have, especially when studying foreign affairs.

 

 

 

 

 

Bennett, M. J. (2017). Development model of intercultural sensitivity. In Kim, Y. (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Bennett, M. J. (2004). Becoming interculturally competent. In J.S. Wurzel (Ed.), Toward Multiculturalism: A Reader in Multicultural Education. Newton, MA: Intercultural Resource Corporation.