Question

Christian, an automobile engineer, is sent on a foreign assignment to Iceland. Initially, Christian is fascinated by the culture and history of the town he lived in. Within a month, he begins to feel disillusioned and discomforted by the differences in norms and values. Which term best describes this phase of Christian’s experience?

Answer 1

Christian is experiencing 'culture shock,' a term coined by anthropologist Kalervo Oberg to describe the stress and frustration felt when adjusting to a new cultural environment. Initially exciting, these feelings may evolve into discomfort, but with time, individuals can adapt to the new culture.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term that best describes Christian's experience of feeling disillusioned and discomforted by the differences in norms and values after initially being fascinated by the culture and history of Iceland is culture shock. This phenomenon occurs when an individual is exposed to a new culture and initially finds it exciting, but later becomes overwhelmed by the differences, leading to stress and frustration. Anthropologist Kalervo Oberg first introduced the term "culture shock" to describe this adjustment process to new cultural environments, highlighting the stages from excitement to stress.

Overcoming culture shock involves learning to adapt to the new cultural context, which might include understanding new behaviors and etiquette, as well as experiencing changes in personality traits and becoming familiar with the expectations of the host culture. With time and effort, individuals usually manage to adjust and become more comfortable in the new cultural setting.