Hilgemann - CAPS Blog 4

Hilgemann – Caps Blog #4

As a member of UNL’s student community, I am fortunate to be part of a diverse group of students and educators. About 4.2% of the student body is made up of international students from 92 different countries (College Profile, 2012). The transitional experience, sometimes referred to as the U-curve, of these students likely does not compare with that of a long term refugee. The students and teachers are almost entirely sojourners or immigrants. Put another way, they voluntarily chose to come to Nebraska and are likely prepared for the experience. On the other hand, refugees are forced to move from their country largely because of war, famine, or oppression (Martin 2012).  Almost everyone will experience some form of the U-curve, but specifics vary widely based on the individual and their situation.

                According to Martin, the U-curve theory posits that migrants go through three phases of cultural transition: excitement, shock, and adjustment. Upon analysis, the U-curve can be made to fit most migration situations. In the case of voluntary migration, excitement is certainly a factor. The cultural move is something that likely has been planned for some time. Thus, the individual would be anxious anxious to go through with it and excited after it occurs. The excitement factor doesn’t always fit so well with forced migration. Although a migrant may be happy to leave behind whatever form of strife is uprooting them, they are much more likely to regret having to leave their homeland behind. This is especially true if family and other close relatives are left behind. The second stage, culture shock, is felt by everyone in one form or another. Relatively speaking, culture shock is a short term phenomenon with significant impact. Generally, the more immersed one becomes in another culture the more likely that person is to experience culture shock. Martin uses the example of military personal on US bases in other countries. They are not very likely to feel culture shock because they have limited contact with indigenous cultures. The third stage is adjustment. Adjustment occurs when migrants learn the rules and customs of the new cultures. According to the referenced articles, this stage can become difficult when migrants are not familiar with the local languages. This is particularly true when refugees are relocated and need to find jobs. For example, Moe Free, a refugee from Burma, has described his issues in adapting to the American culture and finding work because of language issues (Myers, 2011). Conversely, sometimes people are forced to adjust as in the case where a student learns language and cultural norms by attending classes every day. This case is epitomized by Khu Say, a 14 year old student who has become more proficient in English than his parents (Stefankiewicz, 2012).

                According to Martin, intercultural conflicts are often caused by differences in values (2012). Thus, the most effective tool to assist intercultural transitions is simply knowledge. For example, Scandinavian countries have less gender specific roles and countries like Great Britain dislike rules and are less formal in their dealings. Refugees cannot be expected to know all of these cultural nuances. Thus, it is important to provide them with background information on their adopted cultures. By informing migrants about what to expect once they are introduced to a new culture, they are more likely to become comfortable in their new setting.  This can lead to increased intercultural communication between the migrants and those indigenous to the area, thus accelerating the U-curve and providing for a more comfortable transitional experience.

                On a less serious note, following is one of David Letterman’s infamous Top Ten lists. This one parodies differences between Americans and Brits. Oftentimes, satire is the best way to approach a difficult situation and can be a good way to learn about another culture in general. 

College Profile: University of Nebraska - Lincoln. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.collegedata.com

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2012). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.

Myers, E. (2011, December 05). Lincoln community home for refugees from around the world. Retrieved from http://www.newsnetnebraska.org/

Stefankiewicz, R. (2012, May 13). Lincoln's refugee students find language barriers when doing homework. Retrieved from http://journalstar.com/