the expatriate's Wednesday: Adapting to a new culture; the stages ...

Cactus, botanic garden, Buenos Aires

A few months ago, I went to a meeting at the Escola Americana de Rio de janeiro, where my 3 children are.

I was there as a parent and, as usual, I observed, I listened to what people were expressing via their behaviour and their words. Today, I would like to pass on to you the content that the school counselors gave us.

There a many many articles about this theme but I think it is always useful to dive sometimes in some theory

The different discribed steps of integration  aren’t always experienced in the same way and may have different length as well

The theme of the meeting was

« Adapting to a new culture »

Here is the content of it

( The developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity, hammer, 1993)

The 6 stages of increasing sensitivity to cultural difference

Stage 1 : DENIAL

Denial of cultural difference is the state in which one’s own culture is experienced as the only real one. Other cultures are avoided by maintaining psychological and/or physical isolation from diffferences. People at denial generally are disinterested in cultural difference, although they may act agressively to eliminate a difference if it impiges on them.

Stage 2 : DEFENSE

Defense against cultural difference is the stage in which one’s own culture (or an adopted culture) is experienced as the only good one. The world is organised into « us and them », where « we » are superior and « they » are inferior. People at defense are threatened by cultural diference, so they tend to be highly critical of other cultures, regardless of weather the others are their hosts, their guests or cultural newcomers to their society.

Stage 3 : MINIMISATION

Minimisation of cultural difference is the state in which elements of one’s own cultural world view are experienced as universal. Because these absolute deep cultural differences, other cultures may be trivialised or romanticised. People at minimisation expect similarities and they may become insistent about correcting other’s behaviour to match their expectations.

These 3 first stages are ethnocentric, meaning that one’s own culture is experienced as central to reality in some way.

The 3 following stages are ethnorelative, meaning that one’s own culture is experienced in the context of other cultures.

Stage 4 : Acceptance

Acceptance of cultural difference is the state in one’s own culture is experienced as just one of a number of equally complex worldviews. Acceptance does not mean agreement – cultural difference may be judged negatively – but the judgement is not ethnocentric. People at acceptance are curious about and respectful towards cultural difference.

Stage 5 : Adaptation

Adaptation to cultural difference is the state in which the experience of another culture yields perception and behaviour appropriate to that culture. One’s repertoire of culture behavior is expanded to include constructs from other worldviews. People at Adaptation are able to look at the world « through different eyes » and may intentionally change their behaviour to communicate more effectively in another culture.

Stage 6 : Integration

Integration of cultural difference is the state in which one’s experience of self is expanded to include the movement in and out of different cultural worldviews. People at integration often are dealing with isuues related to their own « cultural marginality ». This stage is not necessarily better than adaptation in most situations demanding intercultural competence, but it is common among non-dominant minority groups, long-term expatriates and « global nomads ».

Would you agree with those 6 different stages ?

Could you say which stage you think you are in right now and finally, do you have a few examples that could enlighten those observation ?

Have you seen the size of this branch ?

Botanic Garden as well, Buenos Aires

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