1. Cultural Adjustment - EntryCultural Adjustment - Entry
Stages and Reentry StagesStages and Reentry Stages
Carol M. Archer, Ed D

2. Cultural AdjustmentCultural Adjustment
CycleCycle

3. Cultural Adjustment CycleCultural Adjustment Cycle
• When we go from
one culture to
another, we pass
through various
stages…. In fact, it
is like riding a roller
coaster….

4. Honeymoon/ArrivalHoneymoon/Arrival
 Happy
 Excited
 Nervous

5. Culture ShockCulture Shock
• Physical: tired, lack
of concentration, ill,
sleep problems
• Psychological:
Overwhelmed,
homesick, hopeful,
nervous

6. Initial AdjustmentInitial Adjustment
 Begin to understand
a little about new
place
 Less homesick
 More confident
 Self determination

7. Mental IsolationMental Isolation
 Disdain and anger
against host culture
 Self-doubt and
worry
 Resentment
 Disappointment in
self or new
surroundings

8. Acceptance and IntegrationAcceptance and Integration
 Stop trying so hard
 Accept new place
 Develop strategies
for living each day

9. ReferencesReferences www.culturebump.comwww.culturebump.com
 Adelman, M. B. (1988) “Cross-Cultural
Adjustment: A theoretical perspective on
social support. “ International Journal of
Intercultural Relations 12, 3: 183-204.
 Adler, P. (1979) “Culture Shock and the
Cross-Cultural Learning Experience.” In
Readings in Intercultural Comunication,
vol. 2. Ed. David S. Hoopes. Pittsburgh:
Regional council for International
Education.
 Archer. C.M. (1991) Living with strangers
in the USA: Communicating beyond
culture: Regents/Prentice Hall ) can be
bought at UH Print Shop-713-741-5200 or
cma@culturebump.com
 Furnham. A. and Stephen Bochner.
(1986) Culture Shock. New York:
Routledge, Chapman and Hall.

10. Reentry AdjustmentReentry Adjustment
• Cross cultural reentry can be more
difficult than entry into a new
culture as it is unexpected (it is MY
culture), the sense of loss (of
things that happened there while
you were gone, the loss of the
relationships and experience in the
host culture), and a sense of
special ness and community. This
adjustment also has stages and the
first “Reentry Anxiety” begins

11. Return AnxietyReturn Anxiety
 Sudden awareness
of leaving host
country “forever”
 Sadness at leaving
friends and
experience
 Uncertainty about
what has happened
during absence

12. Return HoneymoonReturn Honeymoon
 Extreme happiness
 Everyone listens to one’s
experiences and is interested
 Special social events to welcome
one home
 NOTE: These experiences typically
last a very short time.

13. Re-entry ShockRe-entry Shock
• Same as culture
shock plus
alienation from own
culture
• Feeling of betrayal
since this is
unexpected in one’s
“native” culture.

14. ReintegrationReintegration
 Find a way to
validate both one’s
overseas and one’s
native experiences
and identities
 A lifetime process

15. How was your luggage filled?How was your luggage filled?
 What did you take
home with you from
your time in
Houston?
Knowledge
Skills
Relationships
Personal growth
Other

16. Suggestions for reintegrationSuggestions for reintegration
 Create a collage, a poem or a
scrapbook of your experience. This
helps you to integrate it and is an
easy way to share with people
close to you.
 Find ways to share your experience
with people who are interested in
your experience. I.E.

17. Suggestions for reintegrationSuggestions for reintegration
 Find a class teaching English as a
second language and ask to
volunteer.
 Find others who have recently
returned from abroad and form a
small support community
 Look for other ways to integrate
your life and remember that this is
a

18. Now…Now…
What new information did you learn about the reentry cycle?
What new insights did you have?
Other?

19. • http://www.studentsabroad.c
• cultureshock.html
• http://www.culturebump.com
– Austin, C. N. (1989) Cross-
cultural reentry: A book of
reading. ACU Press:
Abilene
ReferencesReferences