Intercultural Communication: Chapter 8 Intercultural Adaption

Intercultural Adaptation
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Intercultural adaptation refers to the process of learning the differences between our culture and that of others and getting to appreciate both similarities and the differences in order to survive comfortably in a new culture. One time, a cousin of mine visited us at home, and how he behaved and did things were more or less strange and unique to me. My cousin comes from the Dominican Republic and according to their culture, its considered appropriate to greet someone with a firm handshake while maintaining eye contact and a welcoming smile. Usually, at home, we just hug visitors or shake their hands lightly. Another thing that shocked me is the fact that he wanted my father to offer him a job at his workplace on the basis that they are related and not due to his qualifications. This, my dad, disregarded because nepotism is discouraged at his workplace; however, my cousin tried to put across that back at his home, nepotism is not considered as a vice.
Culture shock comes about as a result of having doubts about our cultural practices in new settings, and it may take varied aspects such as; differences in culture, individuality differences, and visit experience. My cousin, for instance, had a difficulty adapting to the new culture as a result of the cultural differences between our culture and his. Furthermore, the cultural shock comes in different waves such as shock due to a new language, new role, transitioning and fatigue.

As he extended his stay, my cousin displayed various symptoms indicating cultural shock. He missed his home place a lot and in some instances acted so withdrawn and could go for days without communicating with anyone.
The two models, one that includes the U and W curve patterns and the transformative learning models have immensely helped learners know what intercultural adaptation is. For instance, the U curve pattern enables an individual determine the steps into acculturation in such a way that if one considers furthering his studies in a new setting, s/he can be able to do so easily (“Intercultural Adaptation”, 1998). The transformative model, on the other hand, can help an individual to develop cultural sensitivity and transform from his culture to the host culture in order to survive comfortably (“Intercultural Adaptation”, 1998). For instance, an athlete, who has just changed his nationality, can use this model to help him transit from his home culture to the new one.
Reference
Intercultural Adaptation. (1998), 163-181.