The shock of culture-clash
Culture shock is a perplexing phenomenon which affects all strangers in a strange land. It can be experienced by those who move to a new neighbourhood, a new town, a new state or a new country. It causes mischief and misfortune to all who are exposed to it. Culture shock has two elements in it:
1. It is a near permanent psychological state of stress, anxiety and disorientation; a disturbance to the equilibrium, balance, or inner harmony of a person; and a disturbance to the mental and emotional faculties.
2. It occurs in those who have been uprooted from their own familiar culture and transplanted into a strange and alien culture.
Experts have defined it as a disease; a malady; an illness; a deep-seated feeling of anxiety or euphoria which takes place when one’s cultural milieu is changed; psychological stress; a feeling of inadequacy which results from not knowing how to act among strangers; and a pronounced reaction to psychological disorientation experienced when one moves into a culture markedly different from their own.
Extract from the book Culture Shock! Singapore
By JoAnn Meriwether Craig
All Rights Reserved
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International, 2004
Call Number: English KIR
Extract contributed by Lim Lee Ping
Recommended Reads
Available at NLB
Title: Journey through Singapore: a pictorial guide to the lion city
Nicolette Yeo [text]
Call number.: English SING 959.57 YEO
Title: Renaissance Singapore? : economy, culture, and politics
Kenneth Paul Tan (ed.)
Call Number: SING 959.5705 REN
Title: Discover Singapore : the city’s history & culture redefined
by Susan Tsang
Call Number: SING 959.57 TSA
How much do you know about other cultures even though we live in multi-cultural Singapore? Do you find yourself suffering from mini culture shocks when you visit the homes of your friends from other ethnic groups? Why?
Download the Read & Discover Singapore booklist. (1.2MB, PDF)
July 16th, 2009 at 2:14 am
ummmmmmmm wat if i dont live in singapore??? haha but 4real!