Cultureshock and re-entry shock

These straits and island of the blood can be recognised as those very shores and lands we encounter in our earthly migrations. Places become buttons of feeling and colour. ... I know, for example, the coagulation of Victoria on Hong Kong Island and Victoria on Vancouver Island have become in my inheritance, planetary junctures of emotion. Both British Victorias, these new-world cities must have seemed to my ancestors two ends of the same rope. Fred Wah Diamond Grill

Fred Wah is mixed-blood Canadian poet who alludes to a lot of my Old and New World identity issues which are allied to cultureshock. Perhaps you can understand more the whole concept of this blog draws on this quotation. Only recently I've been asked about my understanding culture shock because I led a seminar on culture shock and reverse culture shock at International Christmas.

In that I was forced to revisit some of my original research for my thesis and re-examine how and what I was presenting. Strangely I realized I had hybridized 2 models which were remarkably similar and based everything on the Kubler-Ross model of 5 stages of grief. The stages are: Denial: The initial stage: This cannot be happening to me. Being Angry: "Why me? It's not fair." Bargaining: "If only this could happen then...." Depression: "I'm so unhappy, why bother going on?" Acceptance: "I can accept it even if I don't like it."

Peter Adler was my main theorist who had a similar five stage model to Kubler-Ross firstly, there is a tourist like interest, differences are intriguing. Perceptions are screened and selected. Then, disintegration where the individual becomes overwhelmed by the new culture's requirements or the state of affairs. Then, reintegration they can function, but tend to be angry or resentful towards the new culture. following on a stage of autonomy, where the individual is more confident of their ability to survive this all. Then finally independence where the person achieves biculturality. The problem I had with Adler prescribed the course or path yet Kubler-Ross only attempted to describe stages and not a procession of steps. Also Kubler-Ross also suggests it is never fully sorted out, while Adler sees it all as a finished product. But humans are far more complex than that. Culture shock loiters in the corners of our psyche and the stages do return but our ability to cope and ride the rollercoaster has increased. There is a similarity to conversion and spiritual transformation, learning to live in a different place with different values and beliefs.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off ... Eph 4:22-25