I knew in moving to the south I'd experience some culture shock. I have seen friends go through culture shock in moving from Texas to DC as the pace of life is so different, people act differently, etc. I have also heard missionaries talk about the fact that when they send out nationals within their own country that they experience worse culture shock going from a city to a village then foreign missionaries do in coming to the country.
I think this happens because we're not expecting it. We so often go to new areas and look around and expect people to think, feel and act like us and when we go in with that expectation we are "shocked" by the differences.
I don't know if there's any easy way to deal with this besides what is prescribed for dealing with cross-cultural adaptation - studying the culture, learning the deeper truths behind what is going on, and having a lot of humility because what you're comfortable with and think is "normal" is simply not normal other places. I hope to be able to grow through this. I hope to be able to learn to appreciate the laid back attitude of the South and learn to enjoy their friendliness (which is wonderful when you go to a store and they are just SUPER helpful). I also hope to make some good friendships with southerners so that I can learn to enjoy and appreciate their culture more.
Regardless of the overall culture shock, I think it's important for me to remember grace in this all. Grace for myself as I act VERY much like a northerner regardless of my surroundings, and grace for those around me as they may not act in ways that I expect or like. I think that's a good thing to keep in mind for all the unexpected circumstances in life: grace.
I know, Rachel. I moved a lot in the U.S. through the years, and each part of the country has its unique culture. In retrospect it is wonderful to understand them, but during the time of adjustment it can be disorienting. I will keep you in my prayers! :-) Nana K.
ReplyDeleteI have started to wonder, having also just moved to a slightly different part of the country, if a lot of what we experience as "culture shock" isn't just "change shock." maybe they're the same thing, but it isn't just that you're experiencing something new and different... it's that you're NOT experiencing all the things that your brain just conformed to, that it expected, etc. Maybe I am saying the same thing. I guess I am starting to feel like the "culture shock" unease is not just "this culture outside me is so different" but also "my life and the things I do and experience are so different." you know what i mean?
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