January 2012 Meeting - Culture Shock
At the IWCE meeting on Thursday 18 January 2012, Misha Benschop talked about what culture shock is, and that awareness is the first step in dealing with cultural differences.
"A fish only discovers its need for water when it is no longer in it,” said Misha during her presentation. When we move to a foreign country, we are in a similar situation.
When moving countries, and thus cultures, many aspects come into play. Dealing with the loss of our social network of friends, family and possibly our old job. Our expectations on how our new life here should be and how people will behave.
Setting our families life up in a new country with different norms and values makes this time of adjustment a challenge for most. But Culture Shock doesn’t have to hit so hard if we understand it and learn to deal with it effectively. Once we understand what is going on and have a willingness to deal with it, we can overcome it.
Misha explained the phases of culture shock. Soon after, many participants reacted on what Misha was explaining and used the opportunity to tell others about their personal experiences, and about their view on various aspects of integration. It was an exciting and interactive morning!
It is good to be prepared – to learn about the culture, to learn the language, to be open for new networks. But in the end, how we perceive our new situation is the most important. Do we see it as a difficulty or an opportunity? As it states in Misha’presentation (attached), we always have the choice: “To see a glass of water half full or half empty.”
Workshops about Culture Awarness
Misha Benshop has a very diverse international background and has been living abroad for 12 years. She now is a professional trainer and has set up InSync in order to help Expats deal with culture shock. For IWCE members who are newcomers in The Netherlands (being here less than 6 months) she is offering a workshop free of charge.
To see details – click here.
To see more pictures from the IWCE January 2012 meeting - click here.
