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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 2, 1982)
g^\ • 1 i 1 J 1 1 Going home to culture shock By Sandy Johnstone Ot th* Emirttd Reverse culture shock has been pinpointed as a problem for foreign students returning home after going to school in the United States, according to University counselors. Graduate student Natascha Affemann can attest to that. She went back to her native Ger many during Christmas vaca tion after a year of school here and she was “ready to come back" when vacation was over. "It wasn't so hard because I knew I was coming back,” says the psychology graduate student. Affemann points out that since she was only home for three weeks she did not ex perience total reverse culture shock, but she did feel most of the symptoms "Certain things just hit me when I returned to Germany,” she says ”! got used to a lot of space here (in the U S.) and felt sort of claustrophobic The people were unfriendly — cold, grumpy, short. It struck me how little helpful the people were around the airport, not so much for me but for older ladies. It was discouraging.” Affemann's feelings about her own people changed during her year in the United States "The people are negative in Germany," she says. “All of Eu rope is resigned in terms of be ing able to change. They've given up the feeling that they can be effective " The change in political struc ture caught her off guard when she returned. "It's a destructive political atmosphere," she says about Germany. "I could not deal with the peer pressure in German universities to politicize in a destructive manner. "What struck me most is that you have to give up a certain amount of personal freedom in dress and behavior, and start fitting in again .” International stuoies coun selors at the University try to focus students’ attention on their probable reverse culture shock experience through workshops and individual counseling so that problems like Affemann's can be lessened. An estimated 300 foreign students return home from the University each year "We are giving them reality therapy,” says Peter Briggs, in ternational studies adviser. "A lot of them want to stay here but they are going to have to go back They need to think realis tically about what it will be like." The students who adjusted easily to American customs have the most difficult time at home, Briggs says “Having been away for so long, you lose touch All there really is, is your family," she says. “It makes you lonely." Affemann recommends that students "identify behavior you’ve learned to value — both routines and habits — and see if they're appropriate in the home country. Prior to going back find ways to continue some of them and find out which ones are really important. Students should become aware of how stress usually ef fects them so that they can identify the problem as soon as they notice the symptoms, Af femann says. She suggests thinking of possible ways to al leviate stress before going back and to make sure to do those activities. Two of Affemann's German friends have experienced reverse culture shock and she says it is interesting to note their different reactions. One man moved back in with his parents and found the situa tion “impossible" but has not made an effort to move out. He is going to the University in his home town, but since most of his old friends have moved away and his girlfriend found another man, he feels "very unhappy,” she says. If students encounter alienation when they return home, Briggs recommends get ting in touch with other people who have been to the United States to share their feelings "In a lot of other cultures people are not willing to share their feelings because it is a sign of weakness," he says. This can pose a problem for those who have learned to share their feelings while they were here, he says. Another friend of Af femann's is "getting back into" the culture and seems to be reverting to his life before he came to the United States. “He’s not very introspective,” Affemann says, adding that he usually just adapts to whatever culture he is in. "Being multi-national is not really fitting in anywhere and having a global (perspective," she says. It means feeling com fortable in a lot of different cul tures, but not feeling completely at home in any one culture. Affemann says she is afraid she will act more like an alien ated person when she returns home. “(Traveling) gives you a kind of schizophrenic took on life,” she says. “I'm not sure I want to live in Germany and I’m not sure I want to live here. So where do I go?” The only way she was able to deal with the problem was to II - come back to the United States, she says. Although she acknowledges that she eventually will have return to Germany, she wants take her time. "I’m just too happy here.” 2 2 CASH For Textbooks Mon -Fri Smith Family Bookstore 768 E 13th 1 B! From Campus Ph 34S-1SS1 n O F F (almost) everything in the bookstore June 1-5 Everything, yes almost everything, at the University Bookstore will be 20% less, for five days only. Exceptions...(yes, always exceptions) are textbooks, tobacco products, film and processing, sales merchandise and class rings. is the best deal of the year. Take advantage and come in today! This sale Textbooks 6*6-3520 * General Books M6-3510 • Supplies 6864331
