People have always traveled from their homelands, but with the increasing technological ease of travel, people are moving much more than ever before. Sojourners, business travelers, tourists, immigrants, and refugees have very different reasons for traveling. These people are waiting for international arrivals at the Atlanta airport. How might reasons for traveling shape intercultural experiences? (Mark Spowart/Alamy Stock Photo)
People leave their countries for many reasons, including wars and famine (Iraq, South Sudan, and Syria). In addition, millions of global nomads are roaming around the world as transnational corporate or government employees, guest workers, refugees, tourists, or study-abroad students, like Bakari (see
Figure 8-1). And there are also millions of internal migrations—where people move from one place to another within national boundaries—often for the same reasons: for better economic opportunities or because of war or famine. Perhaps you can look at your own family and think about your migration history. Perhaps your ancestors came to the United States in the second wave, from
western Europe in the 1800s, or perhaps in the third wave, from Europe, Asia, or
Latin or South America. Perhaps you can look at your own family and think about your migration history.
Perhaps your ancestors came to the United States in the second wave, from western Europe in the 1800s, or perhaps in the third wave, from Europe, Asia, or Latin or South America. Perhaps you’ve had a global nomad experience of studying abroad or living abroad as an exchange student.
THINKING DIALECTICALLY ABOUT INTERCULTURAL
TRANSITIONS
Understanding the process of adaptation in intercultural transitions depends on
several dialectical tensions. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. Think about transitions.
For example, businesspeople who live abroad while working for transnational
corporations often are economically privileged: They receive additional pay,
housing relocation money, and so on. They also meet many people
through work and can afford to travel in their new host location. In contrast, refugees often lack
financial resources in their new host location, which may have been chosen out of
sheer necessity.
They may have few opportunities to meet other people, travel in
their new homeland, or purchase basic necessities. In this way, they may not view
their new environment in the same way as a more privileged migrant. These dialectical
differences shape the intercultural migrant’s identity and the changes that this
identity undergoes.
We might also invoke the personal–contextual dialectic. Often, in adapting to
new cultural contexts, people may find themselves challenged to be culturally competent
by behaving in ways that may be contradictory to their personal identities. For
example, a Muslim woman may feel that she can’t wear her chador in certain U.S.
contexts and thus can’t express her religious identity. The dialectic calls for a balance
between the individual and contextual demands.
Through the integration of Acculturation Theory (Berry, 1980), Cross-Cultural Adaptation Theory
ReplyDelete(Y.Y. Kim, 1980), and Coordinated Management of Meaning Theory (Pearce & Cronen,1980) these theories are used to understand the intercultural transitions deeply
yes People have
ReplyDeletenumerous reasons for leaving their primary cultural context to move to a new cultural
context, some travel for business and educational opportunities or tourism while others
leave to escape the harsh realities of war, famine, or poverty. Individuals may choose to
move within their national boundaries or externally to neighboring countries or regions.
Generally speaking, a migrant is any individual who leaves her/his primary cultural
context to move to a new cultural context for an extended period of time (Berry & Sam,
1997).
Agreed, According to Nelson Landicho, Culture shock is a state of bewilderment that occurs when a person is suddenly exposed a different culture and way of life
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