Reverse Cultural Shock In Intercultural Communication

Cross-cultural interchange is as old as recorded history. Throughout history many people born in one country and raised in one culture have traveled to other lands for various reasons: trade, war, exploration, and education. The curiosity to know what is"out there"is overwhelming and powerful and is as fascinating today as it was in the beginning of time. Today, with the expansion of globalization, development of modern technology, improvement of transportation and increased communication through computer technology, working and living in countries other than one's home country is increasingly frequent. People who live in their home country are initially expected to encounter"culture shock"upon entry. There have been many academic studies and research conducted on culture shock and corresponding literature abounds on this topic.However, little is known about reverse culture shock. The concept of reverse culture shock was first put forward by Scheuts in 1944, when he examined the difficulties of returning armed forces veterans. There has been little extensive research on the subject of reverse culture shock since. To my knowledge, there hasn't been a separate and distinct research study on reverse culture shock in China. However, given these limitations, I will attempt to present my own findings on reverse culture shock in the hopes of providing information of this lesser known topic.The number of Chinese people who travel to another country to work, study, or migrate is on the rise. But in recent years, a great number of overseas Chinese returned to work and live in China, thanks to the rapid economic development, the improvement of the standard of living and better job or business opportunities. The Chinese term for these people is"see turtles"or Hai Gui, meaning returning from overseas. Many more Hai Guis are expected to go back"home". However, cultural readjustment upon reentry that these people will predictably experience, have not been fully explored and studied by academics and cultural scientists.This study will explore the concepts, causes and process of reverse culture shock from different perspectives and the coping strategies to deal with them. The study will attempt to provide clear guidance for returnees so that they can overcome reverse culture shock and readjust to their home culture successfully. Furthermore, questions such as the following will be answered: Can returnees change their roles and fit right back into the life they left behind with its original cultural expectations and behavior of their home country? How should they readjust to their home culture? Should they completely abandon what they have acquired in the new culture or attempt to combine the new culture with the old one? Will they see their home culture through new eyes? What are some of the perceptions of the people they left behind when they return and how should returnees deal with them?Existing research on reverse culture shock indicates that returnees are poorly prepared for the inevitable reentry shock. Many may not even know it exist even when experiencing the sometimes debilitating signs and symptoms of reverse culture shock. Public or private organizations in China, such as business companies or educational institutions have little or no programs to prevent the effects of reverse culture shock and prepare people to reenter back into their home countries and culture without difficulties. If not addressed timely and efficiently, the issue of reverse culture shock could present challenges for large numbers of Hai Guis, going back home, eventually impacting their contribution to China's modernization and development.It is my hope that this modest study could bring awareness and provide information on reverse culture shock, if not spark interest in further study and research of this often difficult condition.