additional 3 pages

Running head: OVERCOMING CULTURE SHOCK

OVERCOMING CULTURE SHOCK

Overcoming Culture Shock

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Overcoming Culture Shock

The biggest challenge I faced when I came to the US form Saudi Arabia was culture shock. From gender roles to norms of interaction, everything was different and new to me. I was surprised to find that here, women and men intermingle freely while in Saudi Arabia, women and men are mostly separate in all aspects of life. I was missing my friends and family back at home. I responded to this adjustment argument by sticking to students of Arab origins especially those from Saudi Arabia. This may have been informed by the rather collectivist culture of Saudi Arabia where family and friendship is paramount.

I also found it hard to interact informally with professors. Back at home, student-professor relationships are strictly formal while here the relationship is somehow informal. For example, professors prefer to be called by just their names without their titles unlike in Saudi Arabia where leaving out the title, ‘Prof’ is an offense. I responded to this adjustment argument by sticking to students of Arab origins especially those from Saudi Arabia. This may have been informed by the rather collectivist culture of Saudi Arabia where family and friendship is paramount.

To overcome these challenges, I started cultivating a global identity where I developed a relativist approach to culture. Initially, I tended to think that my culture was the best until I started interacting with students of different cultures. Doing assignments in groups such as Power Point presentations, group papers and poster sessions exposed me to the beauty of cultural diversity. I started appreciating other people’s ways of life, view points and practices. Since modern workplace is increasingly becoming diverse, I realized I had no option but to appreciate and respect other cultures. As a result, I can understand other people better and relate well with them without unnecessary conflicts.