CROSS-CULTURAL CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATIONADAPTATION

AN INTEGRATIVE THEORYAN INTEGRATIVE THEORY

YOUNG YUN KIMYOUNG YUN KIM

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

• DESCRIBESDESCRIBES THE PROCESS OF CROSS-CULTURAL THE PROCESS OF CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION AS IT UNFOLDS OVER TIMEADAPTATION AS IT UNFOLDS OVER TIME

• EXPLAINSEXPLAINS THE STRUCTURE OF THIS PROCESS THE STRUCTURE OF THIS PROCESS

• IT IS IT IS BASED ONBASED ON THREE ASSUMPTIONS THREE ASSUMPTIONS (“OPEN-(“OPEN-SYSTEMS”)SYSTEMS”)

1. HUMANS HAVE AN INHERENT DRIVE TO ADAPT AND GROW

2. ADAPTATION TO ONE’S SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT OCCURS THROUGH COMMUNICATION

3. ADAPTATION IS A COMPLEX AND DYNAMIC PROCESS

THE PROCESS OF CROSS-THE PROCESS OF CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATIONCULTURAL ADAPTATION

• CULTURECULTURE IS DEFINED AS: IS DEFINED AS: an imprinted pattern of knowledge, attitudes, values, perceptions an imprinted pattern of knowledge, attitudes, values, perceptions

and a set of behaviors that permeate all life activitiesand a set of behaviors that permeate all life activities Culture has a pervasive role in shaping individual behaviorCulture has a pervasive role in shaping individual behavior

• ENCULTURATION:ENCULTURATION: culture gives status and assigns the role of culture gives status and assigns the role of an individual in the life of the community (through socialization an individual in the life of the community (through socialization process)process)

• ACCULTURATION:ACCULTURATION: the process of learning and acquiring the the process of learning and acquiring the elements of the host cultureelements of the host culture

• UNLEARNING/DECULTURATION:UNLEARNING/DECULTURATION: losing or putting aside losing or putting aside some of the old cultural habits / new responses are adopted in some of the old cultural habits / new responses are adopted in situations that previously would have evoked old ones situations that previously would have evoked old ones

The Stress-Adaptation-Growth The Stress-Adaptation-Growth DynamicDynamic

• STRESS:STRESS: the generic response that occurs whenever the the generic response that occurs whenever the

capabilities of the individual are not adequate to the capabilities of the individual are not adequate to the

demands of the environment demands of the environment Personality disintegrationPersonality disintegration, state of disequilibrium , state of disequilibrium Activation of a Activation of a defensive mechanismdefensive mechanism to minimize the to minimize the

effects of the disequilibrium effects of the disequilibrium Response behaviorsResponse behaviors: selective attention, denial, self-: selective attention, denial, self-

deception, avoidance, withdrawal, or, hostility, cynicism, deception, avoidance, withdrawal, or, hostility, cynicism, compulsively altruistic behavior compulsively altruistic behavior

The Stress-Adaptation-Growth The Stress-Adaptation-Growth DynamicDynamic

• Adaptation:Adaptation: stress is temporary; it leads to adaptation stress is temporary; it leads to adaptation because strangers strive to meet and manage the because strangers strive to meet and manage the challenge by acting on and responding to the host challenge by acting on and responding to the host environment environment

• Growth:Growth: the stress-adaptation experiences bring about the stress-adaptation experiences bring about change and growth change and growth

internal transformation internal transformation

creative responses to new circumstances creative responses to new circumstances

a crisis once managed by the strangers presents an a crisis once managed by the strangers presents an opportunity for a strengthening of their coping abilitiesopportunity for a strengthening of their coping abilities

The Stress-Adaptation-Growth The Stress-Adaptation-Growth DynamicDynamic

Overtime the stress-adaptation-growth dynamic plays out NOT in a smooth linear progression, but in a cyclic and continual draw-back-to-leap pattern

Dialectic relationship between push and pull, or engagement and disengagement in the psychological movements of strangers

Even those who interact with the natives with the intention of confining themselves to only superficial relationships are likely to become – given sufficient time – at least adapted to the host culture “in spite of themselves”

Intercultural Intercultural TransformationTransformationOUTCOMES OF THE ADAPTATION PROCESSOUTCOMES OF THE ADAPTATION PROCESS

1. INCREASED FUNCTIONAL FITNESS: synchrony between strangers’ internal responses and the external demands in the host environment

2. PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH: ability to communicate and the accompanying functional fitness in the host society / psychological well-being

3. INTERCULTURAL IDENTITY: the original cultural identity begins to lose its distinctiveness and rigidity while an expanded and more flexible definition of self emerges

THE STRUCTURE OF CROSS-THE STRUCTURE OF CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATIONCULTURAL ADAPTATION

• PERSONAL COMMUNICATION HOST COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE

• SOCIAL COMMUNICATION 1. HOST INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION 2. HOST MASS COMMUNICATION 3. ETHNIC INTERPERSONAL AND MASS COMMUNICATION

SYSTEMS

THE STRUCTURE OF CROSS-THE STRUCTURE OF CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATIONCULTURAL ADAPTATION

• ENVIRONMENT 1. HOST RECEPTIVITY 2. HOST CONFORMITY PRESSURE 3. STRENGTH OF THE STRANGER’S ETHNIC GROUP

• PREDISPOSITION 1. PREPAREDNESS 2. ETHNICITY 3. PERSONALITY TRAITS a. Openness b. Strength

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION• This theory portrays cross-cultural adaptation as a This theory portrays cross-cultural adaptation as a

collaborative effort in which a stranger and a receiving collaborative effort in which a stranger and a receiving environment are engaged in a joint venture environment are engaged in a joint venture

• Cross-cultural adaptation is ultimately the gift of the Cross-cultural adaptation is ultimately the gift of the individuals individuals

• Cross-cultural adaptation is not an extraordinary Cross-cultural adaptation is not an extraordinary phenomenon that only exceptional individuals can achieve. phenomenon that only exceptional individuals can achieve. Rather, it is simply an incident of the normal human Rather, it is simply an incident of the normal human mutability manifesting itself to the work of ordinary people mutability manifesting itself to the work of ordinary people “stretching” themselves out of the old and familiar “stretching” themselves out of the old and familiar