Culture Shock

It was an emotional evening in 2003 when RME, a US Army Staff Sergeant, drove to his unit in Fort Polk, Louisiana. That night, his wife Lori and his eight-year-old daughter Emily accompanied him. For that night, RME was leaving for Baghdad, Iraq. Looking back, Lori recalls the emotional aspect of the evening. She says that many tears were shed, as tense, unhappy people with short tempers surrounded the family. When asked if Emily understood what was happening, Lori said, "she knew that her daddy was going to a foreign country to try and help people who needed it." She said that they knew the day was close at hand, but when faced with the good-byes they all fell numb, and the event felt like a dream. RME would spend the next twelve months in Baghdad. His experience there gives an example of how a person can be affected by culture.

While being stationed in Baghdad, RME has seen religious persecution; through e-mail, he said this is a major difference between the United States and Iraq's culture. He briefly described how Kurds, a religious denomination has been labeled the lowest of the lower-class citizens. He told of mass graves his troop has recovered. Graves of Kurds who were subjected to chemical warfare by Saddam Hussein. Saddam tortured people, and if anyone spoke against him their tongues were removed, or worse, they were killed.

RME said the Iraqis live in a poverty stricken country. He claims they will do anything for money. He told me of a young boy who tried to sell him one of his sisters. He told me the money recovered after Saddam's capture is being used to pay the Iraqis to rebuild their country. He said the people would not do the labor for free, as they must work to survive. Here in the United States, we have programs set up to support our needy families. In Iraq the indigent people continue to suffer.

RME says he has been affected by their culture, because he appreciates his family more, and he realizes who his real friends are. He said few people have emailed Lori concerning his situation. He said a few people he barely knew sent care packages to his family. RME believes Americans as a whole tend to think the world should evolve around them. He said we do not take other cultures into consideration. He said being in his situation does not separate his spirituality and military values. Most people would not be able to do his job. But for RME it is his desire and ability to provide a loyal, and selfless service to mankind. RME's experience is a harsh taste of reality. For RME, the dish of reality has brought his family closer together. RME's experience is a classic case of culture shock.

When a person is placed in a hazardous situation such as war, or experiences a move, the person can experience what is called cultural shock, according to Thomas J. Milton, MAJ., US Army. Thomas is the author of 'Understanding Culture Shock.' In his article he quotes two individuals by the names of Furnham and Bochner. They say that culture shock is "...when a sojourner is unfamiliar with the social conventions of the new culture, or if familiar with them, unable or unwilling to perform according to these rules." Thomas says that the individuals fail to explain that when a person is placed in a new culture they face situations that may not coincide with their own life styles. He explains that one theory of culture shock believes that there are three stages of adjustment when living amongst a new society. The first is a state of excitement and hopefulness. The second is a state of frustration when people fail to live up to our expectations. Finally, he says that individuals adjust to the society. This does not by any means mean that the individual will give up their own prospective. It means that they will learn to survive within the new society. Thomas states that everyone will experience culture shock in their life; therefore, they should be prepared. Culture can definitely change a persons prospective, values and over all way of life.

Thao N'guyen moved to the United States as a nine-year-old child from Tra On. Tra On is a little town off the delta river a few hours south of Sai Gon. His family spent ten years planning their move to America. Thao says, "My family came seeking the land of opportunity." The family found a society with a much different culture than their native land provided. Thao does not remember the moves per se, but he told me about the way the American culture has affected his family and his future. Thao said, " My mother still lives as if she was in Vietnam." He said she is a messy house keeper, that she created a garden covering their back yard, and she seldom buys herself new clothing. He said that she still holds tight to her birth culture, even after fourteen years of living in the US.

Thao told me that his family's closeness has faded over the years. He says that his parents have withdrawn from the family. He said that his heritage is slipping away. The only Vietnamese cultural teaching he had access to growing up was his parents'. Thao's greatest influence has been found with in his schooling, via Internet and through television. He said his peers take up the majority of his time.

Thao experiences life and cultural differences on a level far greater than just moving to a new land because Thao is a twenty-five-year old gay, Pagan male. Not only does he defy his family's culture, he defies their spiritual and relationship beliefs, too. Thao said, "My parents will never accept my choice of mates." Thao understands his parent's wishes and respects their choices. He said that despite his family's preferences, his father's side of the family has adjusted well to his choices. What bothers him most is that his Vietnamese heritage is lost. One-day, if he is capable of adopting children, they will not have the same cultural experience he once had. He said, "Even worse, my grandchildren, they will not have the cultural experience at all." When families move to new countries this tends to be a familiar scenario. When children grow up, they change. Sometimes they hold on to their beliefs. But more often than not, their life changes so much that their culture is lost in yester years.

Unlike RME and Thao's cultural experiences and contrary to Thomas's statement about preparation, Zozan, a student at Highline community College, moved to the United States because of the war in Iraq. Zozan did not have a lot of time to plan for her trip. She explains that her family was in danger for translating the English language. Her family moved here on a spur of the moment. The rumors she heard about the United States were scary. She was told she would have to live alone after she turned eighteen years old. In Zozan's culture they do not engage in premarital sex, and they remain at home until they get married. . Those that do these things are put to death for disgracing the family.

For Zozan's culture, family is a sacred tie. She points out how families in the United States differ from Iraq. She said children in Iraq would never talk to their parents the way children in the US do. She said families stick together; they don't just throw their children on to the streets when they reach a legal age. She says that the family unit matters. She, "despite cultural differences, I do not plan to change my beliefs." When asked if she will return to Iraq after the war is completely over she said she would remain in the United States. She seems to have grown attached to the freedom the US provides.

Freedom in the United States does give Americans a lot to be grateful for. We have a lot of wonderful opportunities. We live in a diverse culture where we can gain experience from every country. We have people of many different races, religions, and life styles. We are free to move from place to place. We are given the opportunity to make our own choices and follow our own hearts. We are free to hold on to our family's traditions or to completely change to our own. What would we miss if we were forced to leave our country? We would face a culture shock.

Susan Landgraf, a writing instructor at Highline Community College sat with her students on March 3, 2004. She answered questions concerning her cross-cultural traveling experiences. She told us that she has learned not to expect anything when she visits another country. She told us that even though the cultures are different, they are very much the same. She said when she traveled to China as part of a foreign exchange teaching program. She learned a lot from her students at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Susan spent four months in China. During those months she taught writing to the university's PhD students. She spent her time grading papers; teaching and she did a lot of traveling. Upon returning to America she knew she had been affected by her trip. She found a renewed appreciation for her possessions. She smiled and shared a giggle with the group when she told us she missed her regular tap water. Despite the cultural differences and the change this inspired in her life, Susan said she would still go back to visit the countries she spent time in.

Culture is a human product. The value of an individual's culture is priceless. Different cultures hold unique philosophies about what this word means. According to Dictionary.com, culture is: 'The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought.' During my Psychology 100 class, we covered the difference between Nature and Nurture. During this process we found that people are not born with specific beliefs, languages, or behavioral patterns. These are nurtured traits of humanity. Thao, Zozan, Susan, and RME all share a different prospective, and they have all four been touched by culture shock on different levels. However, They have all four shared a renewed appreciation for their own cultures. When we view culture on this scale, we realize culture does influence the way an individual perceives the world around them.

Bibliography

RME. "Email Interview." RME is an E-6 Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He is stationed in Baghdad Iraq. [February 27, 2004]

Lori Ann. "On-line Interview." Wife and mother. [March 4, 2004]

www.dictionary.com. "Definition of Culture." http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=culture [March 4, 2004]

Landgraf, Susan. "Class Interview." Susan is a frequent Traveler and Writing Instructor at Highline Community College. [March 3, 2004]

Manber, Michele. "Lecture." Psychology 100 Instructor at Highline Community College.

[February 17, 2004]

Milton, Thomas. "Understanding Culture Shock." MAJ., US Army http://www.faoa.org/journal/cshckfao.html [February 4, 2004]

N'guyen, Thao. "On-line Interview." Thao moved here from Vietnam, at the age of nine years. [February 4, 2004]

Zozan. "Group Interview." Zozan is a student at Highline Community College. She moved here from Iraq. [March 1, 2004]