7.3: Models of Culture Shock

Stress-Adaption-Growth Dynamic Model

Have you ever found yourself feeling uneasy or stressed in a new environment, such as starting at a new school or job? The feelings we experience in these situations are similar to culture shock, and one way to understand this process is through Young Yun Kim’s Stress–Adaptation–Growth Dynamic model. Kim (2017) explains that adapting to a new culture is not a smooth, one‑time event but a recurring cycle. First, people encounter stress when faced with unfamiliar norms, such as different languages and behavioral expectations. Next, they engage in adaptation by learning new ways of thinking and behaving (ie: learning how to make requests in a new language). Finally, they experience growth as they expand their resilience and intercultural competence. This growth helps to build confidence across different areas of your life (ie: if I can navigate the public transportation system in London, I can adapt to anything).

This cycle repeats over time, meaning that each stressful encounter can become an opportunity for deeper adaptation and personal development. In other words, as we adjust to new settings, it is normal to experience unease and stress, and if we find ways to adapt to the new setting, we then experience growth. So, rather than seeing culture shock as purely negative, Kim’s model reframes it as a natural and necessary process of becoming more flexible, resourceful, and capable of navigating cultural contexts. In addition to the Stress-Adaption-Growth Model, the Revised W-Shape Adjustment Model can help explain typical stages of culture shock.

The Revised W-Shape Adjustment Model

In

Figure 7.3.1: The Revised W-Model of Culture Shock

As we've explored, culture shock is a complex experience shaped by many different factors. Its causes can vary widely, and its impact can range from mildly uncomfortable to deeply disorienting. Over time, scholars have developed models to help us understand the stages of cultural adjustment. One of the earliest is Lysgaard’s (1955) U-Curve Model, which outlines three phases: Honeymoon, Crisis, and Adjustment. Building on this, Gullahorn and Gullahorn (1963) introduced the W-Curve Model, which adds two additional stages to account for the challenges of returning home and experiencing reverse culture shock. More recently, Ting-Toomey and Chung (2012) proposed a Revised W-Shape Model that expands the framework to include seven distinct stages, offering a more nuanced view of both short-term and long-term cultural adaptation. You might relate to the Revised W-Shape Model if you think of it like the emotional journey of starting at a new school—whether it’s high school or college, and the need to adapt to a new environment with new rules. Each stage mirrors the ups and downs of finding your place in a new environment:

The preparation stage occurs before embarking on your new adventure. Like the name implies, this stage occurs as you are preparing for your travels, whether a short vacation or an extended stay. This stage is often fun and filled with anticipation, such as packing your luggage, getting your travel documents in order, and planning what you will do during your visit. For example, when Scout, a community college student, decided to study abroad in Japan with her college for a semester, her preparation stage took careful planning. Students were limited to one suitcase, although they would be living in Japan through the season, the end of summer, fall, and early winter. Students were advised to get their Suica card in advance of the trip. A Suica card is a type of debit card that is used for small purchases and travel.

Student Voice

 

Figure 7.3.2 Photo by Alyssa Islas

Hafa Adai: Culture Shock in Guam

I experienced culture shock while living on Guam. Before moving there, I lived in Arizona, in a desert region where everything felt fast-paced and dry. I was 17 when I moved to Guam because of my dad's military orders. When I first arrived, I was pretty excited to experience new things and meet new people. I was in the Honeymoon stage for the first couple of weeks. Everything felt new and interesting, especially the ocean views. 

However, after some time, I started to miss my home and felt homesick. I was in the Participant stage at this point. Life on Guam was very different from what I was used to. The humid tropical island weather was the complete opposite of Arizona’s dry desert heat. Every day, things felt unfamiliar, especially the unique local foods and the overall quality of life. Many businesses were only open for half a day and only a few days a week, which was the biggest adjustment for me. I was so used to having everything available almost 24/7. Over time, I slowly started to adapt to the local culture. Something I noticed is that people on Guam always say Håfa Adai, which means “hello” or “how’s it going”, and eventually I developed the habit of saying it too. As time went on, I became way more comfortable with the slower pace of life on a small island. 

Funnily enough, after moving back to the mainland, I actually started feeling homesick for Guam. I found myself missing the same select foods and the humid island air (which I never thought I’d say!). 

Alyssa Islas, Physics Major, and transfer student

The preparation stage is followed by the honeymoon stage. The honeymoon stage kicks off at the start of the journey, and is characterized by anticipation and excitement of the new experience. At this stage, the traveler is fascinated by features such as the food, architecture, people, and overall environment of the new culture. Scout recalls her excitement at eating authentic ramen and sushi for the first time, as well as shopping in some popular Japanese stores such as Don Quijote.

After individuals settle into their new way of life, they may find themselves shifting into the hostility or participant stage. This stage of culture shock is where the individual experiences identity confusion, stress, and frustration with the host culture's differences. Simple day-to-day experiences, such as confusion over money exchange, frustration with public transportation, or a lack of favorite comfort foods, can cause individuals to experience stress and doubt over their experience. Common symptoms of this stage include homesickness, feelings of helplessness, disorientation, isolation, depression, irritability, sleeping and eating disturbances, loss of focus, and more. This is the stage where some explorers may give up on their adventure and return home if they can.

Explorers who survive the hostility stage may find themselves moving into the humorous stage. The humorous stage is a turning point where the individual begins to cope with cultural differences by laughing at their own cultural bumps and embracing the pros and cons of both cultures. For Scout, during her time in Japan, transportation was one of the best and most challenging parts of the trip. While she loved that she could walk most places and take advantage of the great train system, she often found the trains to be very overwhelming and disorienting. She can laugh at herself now in hindsight because she learned to navigate by asking school children to help find her way.

The next stage of culture shock is the In-Sync stage. During this stage of adjustment, the individual feels a sense of security and inclusion within the new culture, developing a routine and feeling "at home." This author recently watched the final season of the Amazon Prime show “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” and we can see an example of this stage with the main character, Belly, who moves to Paris. In the final episodes of the show, she has immersed herself in French culture, learning the language, making friends, getting a job, and even adapting the chic Parisian women's fashion aesthetic.

Student Voices

Culture Shock at Home

A time I felt culture shock was when I realized people consumed meat. I’m a first-generation Indian-American with parents who immigrated from India. My parents avoided assimilation with American culture as much as possible and raised me around our culture and religious values. One of the practices of my religion is maintaining a lacto-vegetarian diet. As a child, all I knew was to check 2 things before eating something: no eggs or meat. But I had never comprehended seeing or smelling a meat product.

At my elementary school, in 6th you attend the infamous camping trip. It took a lot of convincing to let me go, since I had never eaten or slept anywhere other than my home, apart from visits to extended family who shared the same cultural and religious values.

Preparing for my field trip, I wrote on the permission slip about my dietary restriction. Arriving at camp, I reminded my teacher about my dietary restriction, and she affirmed she’d let the cafeteria staff know. Despite this, when the staff was serving food on each of our plates, they filled half my plate with orange chicken and walked away. The smell was unsettling, and I felt hurt for being ignored. I looked around me, and not seeing my family there to advocate on my behalf, I got scared and started tearing up.

It took me back to when I was in preschool, not sure if I could eat peanut butter since we never had it at home. I was so scared that I started crying, and my dad came to school to comfort me and explain my dietary restrictions.

In the “participant stage” of culture shock, you’re forced to engage with a new setting and may experience some frustrations. I felt like my personal bubble was violated; forced to engage with its smell and appearance. But as I grew older, I moved past these initial frustrations and began eating meals with friends from all types of cultures. Thus, entering the “final stage”, where adjustment is near complete and the new customs are acknowledged. Through these friendships and meals, I stepped into that final stage.

My anxiety and unease about being around meat have faded. Navigating friendships with different cultures pushed me out of my comfort zone and exposed me to different experiences and mindsets. Balancing my strong culture and that of those around me has shaped me into an adaptable person, which I’m proud of.

Anamika Bawa, California Community College Transfer Student

Most models of culture shock end here, but Ting-Toomey and Chung (2012) were mindful to explore what happens to travelers when they return home. The final three stages are often overlooked and can be equally challenging. The Ambivalence stage mirrors the preparation stage and reflects a period of mixed emotions before returning home, characterized by grief, nostalgia for the host culture, and a sense of relief and sorrow. Once you actually head home, you may find yourself in Reentry Shock, where the individual experiences culture shock upon returning to their home culture, finding it difficult to readjust and feeling like a stranger. What can happen is that you find you have changed because of your experience, but the people you are close to may not see the changes. You may even find that the way you view life at home has changed, and you may want to keep some of the new cultural practices you learned when you return home. Many travelers find it challenging to share their experiences, but others do not have the same interest or passion for their experiences. The final stage of adaptation is resocialization, where the individual adjusts back to their home culture, integrating new perspectives and experiences into their life.