Final answer:
Dipti is likely experiencing 'acculturative stress' and 'culture shock,' as she adjusts to social norms and expectations in her new cultural environment in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This adjustment can be a lengthy process, involving learning new etiquette and overcoming integration distress.
Step-by-step explanation:
Dipti, who recently moved from India to Tulsa, Oklahoma, may be dealing with acculturative stress associated with adjusting to a new country. When individuals like Dipti encounter a completely different culture, they can experience culture shock, which is characterized by disorientation, frustration, and the stress of learning new social norms. This process can often be exacerbated by ethnocentrism—judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one's own culture—leading to additional discomfort.
Adapting to a new cultural environment, according to anthropologist Kalervo Oberg, typically begins with an initial excitement about the new culture, followed by a period of stress as the differences start to become more pronounced. As time progresses, individuals learn to adapt, but this adaptation can take weeks, months, or even years. This adjustment involves understanding and accepting new etiquette, customs, language, and may lead to changes in personal identity, as seen with international students and immigrants adjusting to new societal expectations and overcoming integration distress.
Biocultural anthropologist Shedra Snipes and her team found that Mexican immigrant farmworkers experience both physical and mental stressors, often associated with work conditions and cultural differences, defining the stress of living in a different culture as a significant challenge. Stories from around the globe, such as those of international students or workers, corroborate these findings, highlighting the complexities of acculturative stress. Therefore, Dipti's experience of stress might encompass navigating new social norms, handling expectations in a new cultural context, and dealing with the psychological impact of being away from her familiar environment.