Problem of Culture Shock

Abstract

As global mobility increases, individuals are more frequently exposed to new cultural settings, leading to culture shock—a psychological and emotional response to unfamiliar environments. While culture shock is a widely acknowledged phenomenon, its internal mechanisms and transformative potential remain underexplored, particularly from the viewpoint of individual experiences. Despite numerous theoretical models, there is limited qualitative data on how individuals, especially international students, personally navigate the stages of culture shock and develop coping strategies that contribute to long-term intercultural competence. This study aims to explore the causes, stages, and coping mechanisms of culture shock through reflective narratives from international students, highlighting the emotional and identity-related challenges they encounter and overcome. The findings confirm the classical four-stage model of culture shock—honeymoon, frustration, adaptation, and acceptance—and reveal that initial enthusiasm often gives way to discomfort due to cultural misalignments and communication barriers. However, as students engaged in self-reflection and learned the host culture’s nuances, they gradually achieved social integration and intercultural understanding. One student’s account of misunderstanding social norms during a dinner in Germany exemplifies the negotiation of deeper cultural values beyond surface-level behaviors. By analyzing real-life reflections, this study presents culture shock not only as a challenge but also as a developmental opportunity that fosters self-awareness, empathy, and cultural intelligence. These insights advocate for structured support systems in educational exchange programs, enabling individuals to transform cultural disorientation into meaningful personal growth and intercultural fluency.