Cultural Adaption

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Culturaladaptation

Firs imprssionsThe United Kingdom (UK) is a diverse and

multi-cultural society, where students

of all backgrounds are welcome and

their involvement in local communities

is valued. Moving to a different culture,

however similar to your own and however

welcoming, may take a little time to adjust

to. Many international students experience

a slight culture shock when they move to

the UK which is completely normal. It is

often the subtle differences which cause the

most discomfort; the smell of certain foods,

the way people address you in the street, or

physical proximity when you are holdinga conversation with an acquaintance

or colleague.

Culural adapaionIn order to help you adapt to living in the

UK it is useful to have an understanding of

UK culture and your own cultural identity.

Today, with many societies having access

to the internet and other media, most

students, whether UK or international,will be equipped with some cross-cultural

knowledge and understanding. It is wise,

however, to prepare yourself by considering


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the issue of culture before you get here

(and while you have time!), as successful

adaptation will be crucial to your success

at BU. Please read this section carefully,

complete the tasks and check out the web

links and other resources provided.

SroypingWhen discussing different cultures it isimportant to be aware of stereotyping. By a

stereotype we mean a generalisation, for

example, the assumption that British people

are cold, reserved, proud and drink a lot of

beer! Stereotypes can be a useful form of

short-hand when trying to predict behaviour

or adapt to a situation but many people do

not conform to their national stereotype.

Do not assume too much. Ask questions.

Observe. And remember that culture is

relative. How extrovert somebody appears

to be will depend upon how extrovert you

are yourself.

Wha dos i man

o b Briish?Recently there have been many discussions

about what it means to be British. We

are a very diverse society and this is a

complicated but important debate. Nobody

is able to provide a clear denition of

Britishness! There are numerous articles

about this on the BBC website,

www.bbc.co.uk


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Wha ar your xpcaionsof Briish popl and Briish

culur?

How easy is it to identify your

own culture?Consider your own cultural identity:

A.Think of ve adjectives that you think best

and least describe your culture, whetherthis be ethnic/religious group or national

identity

B.Think of several things that you think your

culture may be considered good or bad at

C.Identify some common cultural

characteristics by asking yourself some of

the following questions:

1. How do people from your culture greet

each other in formal and informal

situations? Do you kiss? Shake hands?

2. How do people from your culture viewthe role of women in society? Are they

considered as equal to men?

3. How do people from your cultureconsider the concept of age? Is age

considered in a positive or negative

light?

4. How do people from your culture viewauthority in the workplace, at home and

in society in general?

5. How do people in your culture dress informal and informal situations? Is dress

a symbol of status?

6. How do people from your cultureconsider personal space? Do you like tobe close to people when talking or do

you like to keep your distance?

7. How important is time to people fromyour culture? Is it considered acceptable

to arrive late for a meeting?

D.Is the way that you perceive your culture

similar to the way you think others

perceive your culture?

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1. What is it about the way you were

brought up (raised) that has had the most

impact on your character and personality?

............................................................................

............................................................................

2. What characteristic do you most dislike in

other people?

............................................................................

............................................................................

3. What food do you think you will most miss

when you come to the UK?

............................................................................

............................................................................

4. Which aspects of your character will

people in the UK be most suspicious of?

............................................................................

............................................................................

5. Which aspects of your culture do you

value the most?

............................................................................

............................................................................

6. Which aspects of your character will help

you the most when you come to the UK?

............................................................................

............................................................................

7. Which aspects of UK culture will you

appreciate the most?

............................................................................

............................................................................

Go back and check your answers after a few

months of living in the UK. Have any of your

answers changed?

How well do you know yourself?Without thinking too much, quickly write down answers to the following questions:


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Comparing culurs:

som horyGeert Hofstede has done a lot of work

researching culture. His insights can help us

to be more effective when interacting with

people in other countries, whether for study,

social or work purposes. The website

www.geert-hofstede.com enables you to

compare your own culture with UK culture

(and others) according to Hofstedes criteria.Read the site and compare cultures! It is an

interesting exercise. And if understood and

applied properly, the information may help

you to reduce any feelings of frustration,

anxiety or concern you feel when you rst

come to the UK.

th W curvThis can be a useful model in understanding

some of the stages you may go through

when you enter a different culture. Pleaseread the following and look at the diagram

opposite. Remember, this may not be

applicable to you; you may experience

things at a different stage, or not at all!

1. Honeymoon stage

When you rst arrive in a new culture,

differences are intriguing and you may

feel excited, stimulated and curious. At

this stage you are still protected by the

close memory of your home culture.

2. Distress stage

A little later, differences create an impact

and you may feel confused, isolated or

inadequate as cultural differences intrude

and familiar supports (eg family or friends)

are not immediately available.

3. Re-integration stage

Next you may reject the differences

you encounter. You may feel angry or

frustrated, or hostile to the new culture.

At this stage you may be conscious mainly

of how much you dislike it compared

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to home. Dont worry, as this is quite a

healthy reaction. You are reconnecting

with what you value about yourself andyour own culture.

4. Autonomy stage

Differences and similarities are accepted.

You may feel relaxed, condent, as you

become more familiar with situations

and feel better able to cope with new

situations based on your growing

experience.

5. Independence stage

Differences and similarities are valued and

important. You may feel full of potential

and able to trust yourself in all kinds

of situations. Most situations become

enjoyable and you are able to make

choices according to your preferences

and values.

Som mor insighs inoUK culur

ClothingMost people in the UK dress in casual

clothes. Despite the cold weather, you

might be surprised to see many students

walking around in the evening in very light

clothing, particularly if they plan to go to a

nightclub later.

Social rolesSome peoples behaviour may confuse,

surprise or offend you. For example, you

may nd some people appear cold and

distant, or always in a hurry. You may nd

the relationships between men and womenmore formal or less formal than you are used

to. The relationship you have with your

tutors and lecturers might also be different.

In the UK we often address our tutors by

their given names.

Rules of behaviourEvery culture has unspoken rules about the

way people treat each other. For example

there may be differences in the way people

decide what is important, how tasks areallocated and how time is observed. British

people are often very punctual and in

business and academic life time-keeping is

important. In the UK it is also very important

to say please, thank you and sorry often

(even if you dont mean it!).

For some country facts and hints

about culture, please visit:

www.peoplegoingglobal.com

Adapting to British culture at frst wasnt

an issue, although every day I did wake

up and realise this wasnt home! I you

make riends with others that have come

rom abroad you learn to cope with it

together because you are all going through

the same issues. I started to eel at home

a bit ater Christmas.

Jason Banrey, USA,MA Multi-Media Journalism

HomeCountry

UK

Key

On-arrivalorientation

Follow-uporientation

Orientation Programme

Adapted from Orientated for Success, edited by M Barker,Australian International Development Assistance Bureau, 1990

Pre-departurebriefing

Preparation forreturn home

Honeymoonstage

Honeymoon stage

Adjustment stage

Independencestage

Independencestage

Autonomystage

Autonomystage

Reintegrationstage

Reintegrationstage

Disintegrationstage

Disintegrationstage

HomeCountry

W-curve: stages of adjustment experienced during orientation


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english slangPeople will sometimes use informal

(colloquial) words or expressions that are

unfamiliar to you and that you wont nd

in a dictionary or textbook. Here are a few

examples for you to learn.

Slang What does it mean?Ta!/Cheers! Thank you

Mate Friend

Bloke Man

What do you reckon? What do you think?

You alright? Hi, how are you?

(and please note

people often do

not want to know

the answer!)

Quid 1

Ta ra!/See ya! Goodbye

Wicked/Lush Great/Fantastic

Your round Your turn to buy

the drinks

Loo Toilet

Dosh Money

Grub Food

For more English slang and idioms visit

www.peevish.co.uk/slang

Pubs and drinking culurYou may nd that UK students enjoy doing

things differently in their free time. Many

international students like to cook food

together or meet in a caf. The majority

of UK students enjoy meeting friends

and drinking beer in a pub or bar in the

evenings. Sometimes they may play pool, ortake part in a pub quiz, often they just meet

to drink and chat. There is a very prominent

drinking culture among UK students and

young people in general.

Please note: As a result of peer pressure or

new-found freedom in the UK, international

students sometimes drink more than they

are used to. Not only are the physical effects

of being drunk sometimes unpleasant, but

being out of control through consumingtoo much alcohol can also be dangerous.

Drinking will impair your judgement and

you may end up doing things you regret, or

taking risks. Please think before you drink

and remember, non-alcoholic drinks are also

sold in pubs and bars.

Food and aingSome international students complain about

food in the UK. Contrary to popular belief,traditional British food is wonderful, but

hard to nd. To sample proper English food,


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you need to go to a quality restaurant or

stay with a host family.

Did you know that the most popular dish in

the UK is actually Chicken Tikka Masala (an

English version of an Indian dish). Similarly,

when people leave the pub on Friday and

Saturday nights, many of them go and buy a

Turkish doner kebab!

The wonderful thing about the UK is

because we are a multicultural society,

there are so many different varieties of food

on offer in supermarkets and restaurants.

On the negative side, food can be very

expensive and the vegetables that you

buy in the shops often have little avour

compared to the produce you might nd at

home. Also, some of the traditional foods

described below can be quite heavy andfatty, therefore bad for your heart and

waistline! You have probably heard stories

in the press about rising levels of obesity in

the UK as a result of unhealthy eating and

lack of exercise.

Typical foods are the famous English

breakfast comprising sausages, bacon, eggs,

baked beans, mushrooms and fried bread.

Most people in the UK will only eat this kind

of breakfast at the weekend as a specialtreat. More usually we eat toast with butter

and jam, or cereal with milk.

Other English specialities are:

Fish and chips the sh is deep fried

in batter

Roast dinner oven roasted meat (beef,

pork, lamb or chicken) with potatoes,

vegetables and gravy

Sausages and mash usually pork

sausages with pured potato and

meat gravy

Baked beans on toast haricot beans in

tomato sauce on buttered, toasted bread

Marmite a savoury yeast spread to put

on toast and butter the advert says you

either love it or hate it and its true

(most international students hate it!)

Cream tea tea with milk, scones (a type

of sweet bread) with jam and thick cream.

A lot of international students also

mention that they like our sandwiches

and our chocolate!

How we eatWe usually eat breakfast at home before

we go to work or study, as above. At about

1pm we have a quick sandwich for lunch

often on the run or at our desks. Tea and

a snack (usually biscuits or fruit) happens

mid-afternoon and then between 6pm and7pm we have the most important meal of the

day: dinner.


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We recognise that food is an important part

of your settling in experience. You will nd

most of the foods you wish to cook with in

the major supermarkets. However, there

are smaller shops that specialise in Middle

Eastern, Asian, South East Asian and

African-Caribbean ingredients, and Halal

and Kosher foodstuffs. If you cant nd what

you are looking for, ask another student,

or ask the International Student Support

Team. Please also recognise that if you are

eating new foods, particularly in the rst

few weeks, it may take time for your body

to adjust, both to the new avours, the new

smells and to the ingredients.

Some students can feel quite ill at rst

eating wheat and cheese products when

they are used to eating rice and vegetables,

for example. Also, if you are sharing your

kitchen with students of other nationalities

and ethnicities, they may be cooking and

eating things that seem strange to you, or

that taste or smell unpleasant. Be tolerant

with each other; be curious. Invite atmates

to try your cooking and accept if they offer

to prepare a dish for you. Sharing food and

cooking together should be seen as part of

the overall learning experience. Eating in

restaurants can be very expensive in the

UK. Many places in town do, however, offer

special lunch menus for 5 per person (or

under). In the evening, a starter and main

course in a mid-price restaurant will cost

you, on average, 10 to 15. With wine, you

can expect to pay 20 per person. You can

often nd discount vouchers for restaurants

online. One such website is www.

VoucherCodes.co.uk/Restaurants

If you plan to eat in a restaurant for dinner

you should normally expect to arrive

between 7pm and 9pm. Restaurants often

stop serving at 9.30pm. Many restaurants

in the centre of Bournemouth and Poole

are closed on a Sunday. Now that smoking

is banned (forbidden) in pubs, many pubs

now serve food (pub grub) throughout


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the day. If you go to a fast food restaurant

you can expect to get a meal deal (burger,

fries, drink) for approximately 5. Take away

meals are very popular, and a lot cheaper.

A large kebab (at bread lled with grilled

meat and salad) will cost approximately

5. A large pizza will cost on average 10and can be shared between two people.

Take-away meals can be collected from the

restaurant or delivered to your home. Check

delivery charges!

Eating on campusEating at the University is generally cheaper

than in Bournemouth itself. The refectories

on both the Talbot and Lansdowne

Campuses offer a range of meals and snacks

from 2 for a sandwich to 3.50 for a cooked

meal. Neither Scolarest (BU caterers) nor

the Students Union offer Halal or Kosher

meals or snacks. This is due to our policy

of non-specic provision. You are very

welcome to bring your own foods to eat

during the day, or may wish to choose one

of the numerous vegetarian options on offer.

Our caterers (Chartwells), Chaplaincy and

the International Student Support Team are

very willing to listen to your requests andsuggest places where you can buy specic

foodstuffs, or discuss other ways of meeting

your requirements.

(The above information is relevant for other

special dietary requirements and is not

exclusive to Kosher or Halal foods.)

You may nd the following books

interesting for more information about

British culture:

Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of

English Behaviour; Kate Fox (2004). Hodder

and Staughton General.

The English: A Portrait of a People; Jeremy

Paxman (1999). Penguin Books.

Notes from a Small Island; Bill Bryson (1996).

Black Swan.

I always cook with riends. Its like

a amily gathering. We all contribute to

the groceries, some cook and those who

cant cook clean the dishes aterwards.

Its a air deal! Plus its great tasting all the

dierent oods your international riends

will cook or you!

Jason Banrey, USA

MA Multi-Media Journalism

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Cultural Adaption