Culture Shock: Understanding Cultures for International Travel

You've been asked to travel internationally on business or you decide to take a vacation overseas. Your destination may sound exciting in travel brochures, but do you really understand what is accepted or unaccepted behavior in the part of the world you wish to visit?

In Experiencing Culture Shock - Again, Dana S. Bourgerie, PhD, associate professor of Asian and Near Eastern languages at Brigham Young University (BYU), discusses BYU students who prepare to enroll in Chinese universities or take on internships in China:

"As these students enter previously unexplored domains of the culture, they are often taken aback by what they find - that they are treated as natives, not as honored foreigners. (One) student, anxious to be a team member in a law firm and to show his abilities, earnestly tried to contribute to group deliberations in company meetings - only to be reminded that it was his role as a junior person to listen. He felt underappreciated and even maltreated, but, in fact, he was being treated as a Chinese person - something he had supposed he had wanted all along. He had discovered a truism of cultural assimilation: The better your language and cultural skills, the more you are treated as a member of the host culture - all of which brings greater opportunity, but more challenges as well."

When you go abroad, consider your purpose for travelling and what steps you can take to prepare yourself for the experience.

Do Your Homework

You may be treated like a native or you may be viewed by locals as a foreigner, outsider, and someone not to trust. Don't just expect to enter a foreign country and be embraced with open arms and spoken to in your native tongue. Conduct research about your travel destination in advance via the Internet, library or local bookstore.

Also, talk to friends and family who have traveled abroad and get information from the U.S. government about the country and people you plan to visit. The U.S. Department of State offers information in the form of country-background notes including history, government, economy and country-specific information. This data includes the location of the U.S. embassy or consulate in each country, unusual immigration practices, medical facilities and health information, crime and criminal penalties, safety and security, and traffic and road conditions. In addition, the U.S. Department of State provides insights into long-term conditions in travel warnings and short-term conditions under travel alerts.

Proper Protocol

Along with having a general understanding about the country you choose to visit, you should know appropriate business practices, table manners, hand gestures and body language. While there are many different behaviors worldwide that are appropriate and inappropriate, here are just a few notables:

• Business Practices: It's important to know that in China, only the senior members of the negotiating team should speak. Also, in Russia, it's rude to stand with your hands in your pockets.
• Table Manners: In Pakistan, it's inappropriate to use your left hand to eat as this hand is considered unclean. And, in China, it's considered a great honor to be invited to someone's home for dinner as the Chinese prefer to entertain in public places.
• Hand Gestures: Keep in mind that what might be acceptable in the U.S. can be offensive in other countries. For instance, in most of Latin America, West Africa, Greece, Russia, and parts of Italy, "thumbs-up" basically means the same as the middle finger. The one gesture that is universally friendly? The smile.
• Body Language: Certain body movements may or may not signal disrespect. For instance, sitting with the sole of your foot exposed can be insulting to Muslims and the Thai, while sticking your tongue out in some parts of Tibet is a friendly greeting.

If you want to learn more about how to behave, there are several good books available about international behavior, manners, culture and more. And if you have any helpful tips for other OfficeArrow members, please share them.