Week Two: Culture Shock, Chapter 13


This week we are learning about the Sojourn Experience and understanding our cultural identity.  The Sojourn Experience is a term used to describe the events experienced by someone who leaves their home country for a particular reason and returns home after six months to five years abroad (Remland, Jones, Foeman & Arevalo, 2015).  This period can be divided into four phases: pre-departure, arrival and settling-in, living in the new culture, and returning home.  Though I've been in Erfurt for three days, I find my experiences have fallen into these categories nicely. In the pre-departure phase, students learn about the language and culture of their destination before their program begins (Remland, Jones, Foeman & Arevalo, 2015).  When I was preparing for this trip, I asked previous instructors and students of SPICE for helpful information.  I researched nonverbal cues to understand the differences in communication between English and German, and bought the necessary technology adapters for surviving.  While I wish I had tried to pick up a few basic German phrases before leaving, it has been a fun experience to learn along with my classmates.  In the second phase,  arriving and settling in, the traveler is enthusiastic about comparing and contrasting cultural differences between their home and their destination (Remland, Jones, Foeman & Arevalo, 2015).  I absolutely experienced this the second I stepped off the plane in Frankfurt.  While I have traveled out of the United States, I haven't been to a country that speaks another language.  Seeing all the signs in German forced me to rely on the pictures that went with the signs, and despite my jet lag I found myself excited by the challenge of navigating an airport based on pictures.  Once we made it to McDonald's in the airport, I had to try and place my order in German, and again, relied on pictures. Luckily, it seems most of the Germans I have met have a basic understanding of English, which makes communication easier.  However, I am hoping to continue learning basic phrases and local customs to be a better communicator as time goes on.  Next, the living in a new culture phase occurs as the sojourner adapts to the local culture in order to survive on a daily basis (Remland, Jones, Foeman & Arevalo, 2015).  Yesterday, we spent the day in downtown Erfurt exploring the city.  Adjusting to relying on local wifi hotspots was a challenge, since we are so used to being connected at home all the time.  Additionally, most shops here only use cash, and once you run out of small bills, most places will not be able to break your bigger bills.  I'm the type of girl who hates carrying cash on her, so adjusting to this way of life will probably be more of a challenge.  Finally, in the returning home phase, the sojourner feels another wave of culture shock as they learn to readjust to living life at home (Remland, Jones, Foeman & Arevalo, 2015).  I won't be in this phase until July, but I anticipate this to be a difficult adjustment, as most of the SPICE students will still be in Germany while I have to pack up my apartment, take graduation pictures, move home, and start working.

Understanding cultural identity for Americans is a difficult task because the United States is made of so many different people and cultures, with many different perspectives on values (Remland, Jones, Foeman & Arevalo, 2015).  While we may not be the only tourist group in Erfurt (we saw at least six different groups yesterday), we feel we stand out from the locals easily due to our mannerisms of speaking loudly, constantly taking pictures, speaking in English to each other and struggling with our German to anyone else, and always traveling in a group.  However, I've noticed we value consensus because we always try to immerse ourselves in the local culture as best we can.  We tried ordering off the German menu at dinner last night, which was a struggle but we made it through! Maybe it's because we are communication students, or maybe we are a product of our generation, but I feel our group is very enthusiastic about learning and understanding the local culture as much as possible, and thus our cultural identity will change as time goes on.

Downtown Erfurt, Germany


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