Today the phenomenon of ethnic paradox is widespread all over the world so the problem of repatriations is one of actual. This article focuses on the social and psychological adaptation mechanisms returnees. The concept of psychological adaptation within the theory of acculturation in modern literature is interpreted as result of researches of cultural shock. Cultural shock — an emotional or physical discomfort and disorientation of the individual caused by hitting into a different cultural environment, encountering with a different culture, unfamiliar place. The problem of cultural shock is considered in the context of a so-called curve of process of adaptation. According to this curve G. Triandis identifies five stages in the process of adaptation visitors.
In the last centuries the concept of ethnic paradox has extent worldwide. in a phenomenon of ethnic paradox it is possible to refer such social and psychological process as repatriation.
Repatriation is the process of returning to historical homeland from other countries.
Repatriation is a kind of revolution for each person. A revolution which divides his life into two parts:
«before» and «after». In a new place, in the new environment, with a new social role and the status the person independently of age starts living on the new [1].
Today ethnic development is one of signsof general development of humanity. One of forms of ethnic paradox is interest in the national roots. For example, a reconstruction various forgotten national custom and traditions, studying of folklore or even sometimes propagation of the historical homeland and national patriotism.
Different psychological schools consider the aspiration reasons to ethnic development. There are psychological reasons of ethnic grouping. The most common causes it:
- reaction of the countries which are lagging behind in development from economically and technologically the developed countries;
- the world social rivalry within the ethnic group;
- mass media
The ethnos as psychological communities is interesting for us which carries out important functions for each person [2]:
- orientation in world around with the help accumulation of a certain information;
- determination of values of life;
- maintenance of social safety or function of
Ethnic identification is psychological category defining belonging of a person to a certain ethnic group. Usually formation ethnic identifications happens during formation of the personality, that is in the period of childhood.
For example a boy who moved from Uzbekistan to Moscow lives among Russians, speak Russian and doesn't notice difference from the friends. Considering his Asian appearance at school he is given offensive nicknames. Eventually he starts understanding the differences and on the question «what is your nationality?» he answers «Uzbek». Formation of ethnic identity in psychology is considered in the context of the development of self-consciousness.
Understanding that the child belongs to a certain ethnic group for the first time was considered in the concept of J.Piaget.
In J.Piaget’s concept development of thinking of the child is shown in an egocentrism. The egocentrism is the central feature of thinking, the hidden intellectual position. Originality of child's logic, child's speech and child's ideas of the world.
Belonging of the child into the ethnic group is connected with many processes. As it was mentioned above not only for the process of ethnic identification, these processes also include processes of inculturation, adaptations and so on.
According to U. Serl and K. Ward psychological adaptation at entry into other cultural environment is set of psychological consequences, including clear understanding of personal and ethnic identification. The concept of psychological adaptation within the theory of acculturation in modern literature is interpreted as result of researches of cultural shock [2; 29].
In the process of cross-cultural adaptation of a person sometimes feels a cultural shock. Cultural shock — an emotional or physical discomfort and disorientation of the individual caused by hitting into a different cultural environment, encountering with a different culture, unfamiliar place. Getting used to a new environment can be exciting, stressful, funny, confusing or can fail to meet expectations.
Cultural shock — a concept that is most often used to reflect the process of entering into a new ethno cultural environment since the 1960s. The term «cultural shock» was introduced by the American anthropologist K. Oberg. It proceeded from idea that entry into new culture is followed by unpleasant feelings — loss of friends and the status, isolation, surprise and discomfort at awareness of distinctions between cultures, and also confusion in valuable orientations, social and personal identity [3].
After the hypothesis of cultural shock which is put forward by K. Oberg there were many researches. These researches were devoted to difficulties which visitors meet with development into the new cultural environment. The analysis of works on a problem of cultural shock was carried out by famous scientists A. Fernkhemom and S. Bochner. Summing up the result they give the following definition of cultural shock:
«Cultural shock is shock of new. The hypothesis of cultural shock is based that experience of new culture is unpleasant or shock on the one hand it is unexpected, and the other hand because it can lead to a negative assessment of own culture» [3; 14].
Symptoms of cultural shock are very different: constant concern, fear of physical contact with other people, general uneasiness, irritability, lack of self-confidence, sleeplessness, feeling of exhaustion, abuse of alcohol and drugs, psychosomatic disorders, depression etc. Feeling of loss of control over a situation, own incompetence and non-execution of expectations can be expressed in attacks of anger, aggression and hostility to representatives of the country of residence that doesn't promote the harmonious interpersonal relations at all.
There are different reasons of cultural shock. For example, when one gets to other country different from the country where lives.
The person has a conflict of old and new cultural norms and orientations. It is the conflict of two cultures at the level of own consciousness. Cultural shock arises when familiar psychological factors which helped the person to adapt to society, disappear. Instead appear unknown and unclear, come from other cultural environment [1; 64].
People differently endure cultural shock, unequally realize sharpness of its influence. It depends on their specific features of an individual, degree of similarity or distinction of cultures. It is possible to connect a number of factors to it, including climate, clothes, food, language, religion, education level, material wellbeing, structure of a family, customs etc.
The problem of cultural shock is considered in the context of a so-called curve of process of adaptation.
According to this curve G. Triandis identifies five stages in the process of adaptation visitors [2; 89].
The first stage called «honeymoon». It is characterized by enthusiasm, high spirits and great expectations. Really, most of visitors seek to study or work abroad. Besides, they are waited on a new place: people, responsible for reception, that try to make them feel «as at home» and even provide with some privileges [3; 15].
But this stage quickly passes. And at the second stage of adaptation unusual environment starts making the negative impact. For example, the foreigners coming to our country face uncomfortable living conditions, the crowded public transport, a difficult criminal situation and many other problems. Not only similar external circumstances, in any culture, new to the person, he is influenced also by psychological factors: feelings of mutual misunderstanding with locals and rejection by them. All this leads to disappointment, confusion, frustration and depression. During this period «stranger» tries to escape from reality, communicating mainly with fellow countrymen.
At the third stage symptoms of cultural shock can reach a critical point. Serious diseases and feelings of full helplessness can be shown. The visitors who didn't manage to adapt successfully in the new environment «leave it» — go back home before the put term.
However much more often visitors get social support of an environment overcome cultural distinctions, learn the language and get familiar with local culture. At the fourth stage the depression is slowly replaced by optimism. Feeling of confidence and satisfaction. The person feels more adapted and integrated into life of society.
The fifth stage is characterized full or long-term, on terminology of Berry, adaptation which means rather stable changes of the individual in response to requirements of the environment.
In an ideal case process of adaptation results in mutual compliance of the environment and the individual, and it is possible to talk about the end of process of adaptation. In case of successful adaptation we will compare its level with the level of adaptation of the individual to the homeland. However one should not identify adaptation to the new cultural environment with the simple case of getting used to it.
So, five stages of adaptation form U-shaped curve: well, worse, badly, better, well. But even the test of successful adapting visitors not always ends with going back as they should pass through the readaptation period to feel «return shock». At first time they are in the good mood, opportunities to communicate in the native language, they are glad to a meeting with relatives and friends, etc., but later on surprisingly they note that features of native culture are perceived by them as unusual or even the strange [2; 111].
So, upon return home some German students that trained in our country during the Soviet period were very much irritated that Germans scrupulously observe «order». For example cross the street only green light. And only gradually they completely adapted to life in the native land. According to some researchers, stages of a readaptation repeat U-shaped curve therefore for complete cycle the concept of W-shaped curve adaptations was offered.
So, five stages of adaptation form U-shaped curve: well, worse, badly, better, well. But many empirical the researches conducted in recent years doubt on the universality of U and W — shaped curves. Really, people, getting to the new cultural environment, not necessarily pass through all stages of adaptation and readaptation [2; 156].
First of all, not all visitors come across cultural shock, at least because some of them are tourists that usually go back home before the termination of the first stage.
Secondly, staying in others country not necessarily begins with «honeymoon», especially, if culture person comes from and culture person goes to strongly differ from each other.
Thirdly, many visitors don't finish adaptation process and leave as soon as they start feeling symptoms of cultural shock.
Fourthly, return home is not always injuring.
Process of adaptation of immigrants considerably differs from the one described above, who needs to be integrated into culture completely — to reach the high level of cultural competence, join in life of society and even to transform social identity.
In psychology there are many evidences on considerable difference in course of cross-cultural adaptation process and its duration – from several months to 4–5 years — depending on characteristics of visitors or immigrants and features own and foreign for them cultures.
Most often cultural shock has negative consequences. But it is necessary to note its positive side at least for those individuals for whom the initial discomfort pursue to acceptance of new values and behavior models which is eventually important for self-development and personal growth. On this basis the Canadian psychologist J. Berri has even suggested instead of using term «cultural shock» use concept an acculturation stress: the word shock is associated only with negative experience, and as a result of cross-cultural contact the positive experience is also possible — an assessment of problems and their overcoming.
Pain of separation from the homeland is also felt by modern immigrants. According to sociological poll lots of emigrants of «the fourth wave», those who left the former USSR in last years, are tormented by nostalgia: in Canada — 69 %, in the USA — 72 %, in Israel — 87 % [2; 18].
Therefore studying of the cross-cultural adaptation gets a great value, broadly understood as difficult process, thanks to which the person reaches compliance (compatibility) with the new cultural environment, and also result of this process. Usually highlight the interior adaptation which is expressed in feeling of satisfaction and fullness of life, and the exterior adaptation which is shown in participation of the individual in social and cultural life of new group [1; 137].
Originally, acculturation was considered as a phenomenon of group level, and the concept of psychological acculturation was introduced only later. If acculturation is a process of change in culture of group, psychological acculturation is a process of change in psychology of the individual. And even in this case, changes valuable orientations, role behavior, attitude of individuals, whose group is exposed to the general acculturation.
References
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