What culture shock looks like!

Do you feel that you have lost your identity? Do you idolise Somalia? Do you ache for to go back to your country? Do you consider that your culture is superior to any other culture? Do you suspect that the Western Society wants to implant immoral culture to your principled culture? If these questions sound familiar, you are probably a victim of culture shock and if it is any consolation, you are not alone in your bewilderment.

The term ‘culture shock’ was coined in 1958 to describe the feeling that you undergo when you are removed from a familiar environment and tossed into an entirely new and dissimilar environment. In your own motherland, you share values with people who understand you and think and behave in a similar manner to you. You know the unwritten norms and common laws and what to expect from other people. You may also feel that you have the support of the community and many problems seem that they solve themselves almost automatically such as raising children. However, when you enter a new territory, things change quite dramatically and you meet people, with a different culture and a new way of thinking.

The decomposition of the Somali state under the military junta and the utter collapse of the government led to a sweeping wave of migration. A significant number of Somalis landed in Europe and North America recently and it is palpable that they are not immune from culture shock. Naturally, when they were in Africa most of them did not have pre-departure orientation materials or could not get the opportunity to talk to returnees who could give lots of practical information.

The symptoms of culture shock may appear at different times. Some people feel physical and emotional uneasiness as soon as they arrive such as those who come during the winter. While others may feel euphoric for a long period almost inevitably perplexity enters their lives and they find it difficult to reconcile their culture with the Western culture, which now will be foreign to them. Culture shock can be segmented into different stages and these stages may not necessarily be a linear progression.

First Stage

This stage is also known as the “Honeymoon Stage”, it is when the newcomer is delighted with all the new things that he faces. For example, a Somali person is thrilled with the peace, social security, gender equality, and employment and education opportunities available in the new country.

Second Stage

Euphoria recedes and daily life takes over. The newcomer may begin to identify that there are never-ending slight differences that leave him facing a range of confusing problems and realises that he is an outsider and people are not as friendly as he assumed earlier. At home he was “somebody” and here he is “nobody”. At this stage those who have prolonged glum moods are the people aged over 20’s at the beginning of the civil war. “I used to be this or that” becomes daily ritual and they are still imbued with a sense of their own importance and worth.

Third Stage

The newcomers may go different directions during this stage. Some may surrender their own identities and try to impersonate all the customs and attitudes of the host people. In short, they are westernised. While others may make no effort to understand the culture and behaviours of the host country like those who seek refuge chewing many tender shoots of Khat or become hermits. And some begin incremental cultural adjustment.

Fourth Stage

The newcomers start to acknowledge that the new culture embraces good and bad elements and they do not have to be keyed up about all of them. Those ping-pong feelings from "I want to go back to Somalia" to "I never want to leave here" may never be eliminated, but some of the newcomers start to integrate and form integral part of the host society.

Fifth Stage

This stage is also called “Re-entry Stage” and it is when you return to Somalia. After spending a long period of time outside the country, you may unearth things are not what they used to be in your motherland. People at home are less willing to heed your problems because they naively believe that somehow you were without a problem or their unspoken reaction may be “you come from North America or Europe and we know you had everything there but we are not interested in to hear your problem.” Funnily, you may find it difficult to use unhygienic restaurants or toilets without seats. In short, you may see the whole life as primitive.

There is no immunisation that will prevent culture shock but recognising culture shock as part of the resettlement process can alleviate the burden of cultural stress. It is imperative to bear in mind that you left Somalia for an obvious reason and if you had something good back there it is natural that you miss it but it is detrimental to live on nostalgia.

The insecurity that made you to leave your native soil is still there therefore it is de rigueur to accept the new country and concentrate getting through the transition instead of living in the past.

Hans Buwalda and Hussein Affey write, “Somalis are a proud people. They did not accept the European culture, even during colonial occupation.” Thus believing that Somali culture is better than the rest is self-righteous and it is an open secret that every human being has an ethnocentric tendency to feel that his own culture is more valuable than others.

Nevertheless, it is necessary to maintain regular contact with your compatriots so you can enjoy a feeling of belonging. However, try not to join a group of mourners or consistently complain about their state of being. Find a group that craves to move foreword and does not want to invest major energy in something beyond their control. It is equally essential to entertain wisely the new culture that will give you less stress and a meaningful life.

By: Mohamed Mukhtar