Question

Please write 500 words to answers the following questions:

What cultural shock issues do you think a US-based expatriate would have with an extended assignment to the countries in your region?

Reverse culture shock? Comment on your research findings.

?

Answer 1

The cultural shock is the phenomenon that affects people who are under the influence of a new culture which is different from their own. When a US based expatriate have an assignment in India he would have to live according to the culture followed by the Indians. India is a country with diversity in language, culture, food and traditions and the expat may get confused on which tradition to be followed. The family of the expat also may find it very difficult to adjust in the beginning stages. There are different stages of cultural shock which includes honeymoon, frustration, adjustment and acceptance. The first stage is honeymoon stage where the American expatriate would enjoy living in India being attracted by the traditions, food and the beautiful places to visit in India. She/he may find the decision to move to India as the best decision. The next stage the expat would face is the frustration stage where the expat gets frustrated on the culture and language differences and the issues that arise due to miscommunication. The expat may face homesickness and may hope to return US as soon as possible. The third stage includes adjustment stage where the US based expat would be more familiar with the language and customs of Indians and would be able to handle communication more effectively by understanding the Indian accent and different cultures followed by different states. The next stage is the acceptance stage where the US expat would completely understand the traditions and customs of Indians and may even learn the local language of the state where he lives. The expat and family would accept and love the traditions of India as own and would live according to them.

Reverse cultural shock is the phenomenon that affects the reentry of the expat to US after completing his/ her assignment in India. Reverse cultural shock also develop stress in the expat as readapting to the US culture may be difficult after practicing Indian culture. The home country will not stay as before and the culture and customs may have changed according to the generation. The expat may find US to be different from the condition when he left US and what she/he has expected it to be while returning. The US expat needs to close all the liabilities in India and find a good role in US. The family also will be affected as they need to adapt back to the culture and find the necessary services like school for the kids and new job for the spouse. The economies are also different and the expat may find the consumer market in US much costlier than in India.

In my opinion, repatriation is much more difficult than expatriation and it is very difficult to overcome reverse cultural shock. We can adjust to new culture more easily because of the excitement and enthusiasm to learn new things. But when we consider reverse cultural shock, we face much difficulty as we have to face certain situations that may not match our expectation regarding the home country.