Culture shock refers to the experience that can occur when we find ourselves in a new situation where the established customs and practices differ from those we are familiar with. It can arise from seemingly ordinary interactions, such as when you visit a friend’s house and observe that their family members eat supper separately when your family always eats at the table together. It can occur from things like traveling to a different country, visiting a different religious organization, or even going to college. Whatever the situation is, culture shock is a challenge to what we think is the norm.
• Have you ever experienced culture shock? How did you manage it? How do the concepts of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism apply to your experience?
• You were socialized, or taught, the norms you follow in a process that takes place throughout your lifetime. When we enter a new situation, we go through a process of resocialization, where we learn the norms that are new to us. In your example of culture shock, how were you taught the norms of your new situation?