CROSS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

CROSS CULTURAL CONFLICT AND

ADJUSTMENT
Presented by:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Elviyasa Gaberia Siregar (12551127)

Heni Yuliani
Nurlaisa
Yogi Harianto

Cross Cultural Conflict and Adjustment

A. Cross Cultural Conflict
When we visit a part of the world we will come across different spoken language, gestures, customs, climate,
foods, etc. At first we may think that these differences are attractions and are not really problems. As the time
passes we will realize that these differences may trigger a conflict. So we have to be aware of these.

Conflict occurring between individuals or social groups that are separated by cultural boundaries can
be considered as cross cultural conflict.

Cross cultural conflict influenced by:

1. Communication and Culture
Communication is the process of sharing information verbally or nonverbally. Communication
between members of different cultures is called intercultural communication. Intercultural
communication involves differing perceptions, attitudes, and interpretations. People from the same
culture can have communication problems. People can unintentionally hurt each other by something they
say. Cultures do not communicate; individuals do. Everyone has a unique style of communication, but
cultures determine a general style for their members.

2. Misinterpretations

Problems and misinterpretations do not result every time members from two cultures
communicate. However, when cultural conflicts do arise, they may be perceived as personal rather
than cultural.
Example of misinterpretation in multicultural society:
A young woman from one culture is looking out of the window and sees a male
acquaintance from another culture. He signals to her by puckering his lips. She quickly
looks away from the window. Later she ignores him. He is confused and she is angry
The misunderstanding was due to the woman's failure to understand the man's nonverbal signal. In
her culture, his gesture conveys a sexual advance. According to his culture, he was only saying
(nonverbally), "Oh, there you are. I've been looking for you." The woman's misinterpretation
resulted in her angry reaction and his confusion. This misinterpretation can be easily ignored or
may results coflict between these two cultures.

3. Ethnocentrism
In cross cultural interaction, speakers sometimes assume what they believe is right, and others are
wrong. This ethnocentric assumption can result in negative judgments about other cultures.
Another manifestation of ethnocentric attitudes is that people become critical of individuals from
different cultures.
Example of Ethnocentrism

Rosamine and Merita are talking about relationships between children and parents. In Rosamine's
culture children live with their parents until marriage because dependence on parents is considered
positive. In Merita's culture children leave home when they are eighteen because independence
and_self-reliance are considered positive.
ROSAMINE : I think it's terrible that in your country children leave their parents when they're so
young. Something that shocks me even more is that many parents want their children to leave home.
I can't understand why children and parents don't like each other in your country.
MERITA
: In your country parents don't allow their children to become indepen-dent. Parents
keep their children protected until the children get married. How are young people in your country
supposed to learn about life that way?

Their assumption comes from different perspective of cultures, both Rosamine and Merita think
that their own culture is right. This ethnocentrism trigger cultural conflict between Rosamine and
Merita.

4. Stereotypes and Prejudice

Ovegeneralized beliefs or "stereoypes" frequently shape people's perceptions of each other.
Stereotypes originate and develop from numerous sources such as jokes, textbooks, movies, and
television. Movies about cowboys and Indians portray cowboys as "civilized" and Indians as wild
and "primitive." A child who knows about the American Indian only through watching these
movies will have a distorted and false image of this group of people. Stereotypical beliefs prevent
us from seeing people as individuals with unique characteristics Negative stereotypes lead to
prejudice: suspicion intolerance, or hatred of other cultural groups. Stereotypical remarks can be
made casually in daily conversations and may or may not have serious consequences.
Nevertheless, people's initial impulse is to become angry rather than to clarify the distortion.
How to avoid stereotype?
Educating others is one way to try to correct misperceptions.
Individuals need to become fully aware of their own preconceptions.
Establishing personal relationships with individuals from different religions, cultures, or races
may be the best way to break down stereotypes and prejudice.

Summarize
Cultural conflicts occur as a result of misinterpretations, ethnocentrism, stereotypes, and
prejudice. Preventing these conflicts is possible with increased awareness of our own attitudes as
well as sensitivity to cross-cultural differences. Developing intercultural sensitivity does not mean
that we need to lose our cultural identities but rather that we recognize cultural influences within
ourselves and within others.

B. Cross Cultural Adjustment

Living in a second culture can be like riding on a roller coaster. Sometimes foreign visitors are
elated; sometimes they are depressed.
When people visit or move permanently abroad they will face various customs differ from their
cultures. This different culture, rule, or customs may lead people into shocking culture then they
will realize that different cultures may have different rules

1. Culture Shock

Culture shock occurs as a result of total immersion in a new culture. It happens to "people who have been
suddenly transplanted abroad." Newcomers may be anxious because they do not speak the language, know the
customs, or understand people's behavior in daily life. The visitor finds that "yes" may not always mean "yes,"
that friendliness does not necessarily mean friendship, or that statements that appear to be serious are really
intended as jokes. The foreigner may be unsure as to when to shake hands or embrace, when to initiate
conversations, or how to approach a stranger.

2. The Adjustmen Process

... when an individual enters a strange culture, ... he or she is like fish out of water. Newcomers feel at
times that they do not belong and consequently may feel alienated from the native members of the culture.
When this happens, visitors may want to reject everything about the new environment and may glorify and
exaggerate the positive aspects of their own culture. Conversely, visitors may scorn their native country t r a
transportaby rejecting its values and instead choosing to identify with (if only temporarily) the values of the
new country. This may occur as an attempt to overidentify with the new culture in order to be accepted by the
people in it.

There are distinct stages in the adjustment process of foreign visitors. The severy of culture shock
depends on visitors' personalities, language ability, emotional support, and duration of stay. It is also
influenced by the extent of differences, either actual or perceived, between the two cultures. Visitors
coming for short periods of time do not always experience the same intense emotions as visitors who live
in foreign countries for longer terms. The adjustment stages during prolonged stays may lastit several
months to several years.
3. The Adjustment Process in a New Cultures

Honeymoon period ; Initially many people are fascinated and excited by everything new. The visitor
is elated to be in a new culture.
Culture shock ;The individual is immersed in new problems: housing, transportation, shopping, and
language. Mental fatigue results from continuously straining to comprehend the foreign language.
Initial adjustment ; Everyday activities such as housing and shopping are no longer major problems.
Although the visitor may not yet be fluent in the language spoken, basic ideas and feelings in the
second language can be expressed.
Mental isolation ; Individuals have been away from their family and good friends for a long period
of time and may feel lonely. Many still feel they cannot express themselves as well as they can in
their native language. Frustration and sometimes a loss of self-conidence result. Some individuals
remain at this stage.
Acceptance and integration ; A routine (e.g., work, business, or school) has been established. The
visitor has accepted the habits, customs, foods, and characteristics of the people in the new culture.
The visitor feels comfortable with friends, associates, and the language of the country.

4. Re-entry Adjustment Process

When visitors return to their native countries, although the stages are usually shorter and less
intense. There are reactions and emotions experienced when a person leaves a foreign country and
returns to his or her own country. Each stage in the "re-entry" process is characterized by
symptoms and feelings.
Acceptance and integration; A routine (e.g., work, business, or school) has been established.
The visitor has accepted the habits, customs, foods, and characteristics of the people in the old
culture. The visitor feels comfortable with friends, associates, and the language of his or her
native country where they are coming from.
Return anxiety ; There may be confusion and emotional pain about leaving because
friendships will have to be disrupted. Many people realize how much they have changed
because of their experiences and may be nervous about going home.
Return honeymoon ; Immediately upon arrival in one's own country, there is generally a great
deal of excitement. There are parties to welcome back the visitor and renewed friendships to
look forward to.
Re-entry shock ; Family and friends may not understand or appreciate what the traveler has
experienced. The native country or city may have changed in the eyes of the former traveler.
Re-integration ; The former traveler becomes fully involved with friends, family, and activities
and feels once again integrated in the society. Many people at this stage realize the positive
and negative aspects of both countries and have a more balanced perspective about their
experiences.

5. Individual Reactions

Individuals experience the stages of adjustment and re-entry in different ways. When visitors
have close relatives in the new culture or speak the foreign language fluently, they may not
experience all the effects of culture shock or mental isolation. An exile or refugee would adjust
differently from someone who voluntariy traveled to a new country. Certain individuals have
difficulties adapting to a new environment and perhaps never do; others seem to adjust well from
the very beginning of their stay.

Day-to-day living in another culture is undoubtedly an

educational experience. While traveling, and living abroad people learn second languages, observe
different customs, and encounter new values. Many people who have lived in other countries feel
that exposure to foreign cultures enables them to gain insight into their own society. When facing
different values, beliefs, and behavior, they develop a deeper under-standing of themselves and of
the society that helped to shape their characters. The striking contrasts of a second culture provide
a mirror in which one's own culture is reflected.