Kalervo Oberg: Pioneer of Culture Shock

Kalervo Oberg (1901-1973) was a pioneering anthropologist renowned for coining the term "culture shock." Born in British Columbia to Finnish parents, Oberg's early life was influenced by his diverse cultural background. He embarked on his academic journey at the University of British Columbia, earning a Bachelor of Economics, followed by a Master of Economics from the University of Pittsburgh. His academic pursuits culminated in a doctorate from the University of Chicago, where he completed a dissertation titled "The Social Economy of the Tlingit Indians of Alaska."

Oberg's passion for fieldwork was the cornerstone of his career. His extensive and wide-ranging fieldwork across various cultures distinguished him as a prominent figure in anthropology. He held numerous government positions overseas, working with the Institute of Inter-American Affairs, a precursor to the U.S. Agency for International Development. His assignments took him to Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Surinam, where he meticulously documented his experiences, providing valuable insights into diverse cultures.

In 1954, Oberg introduced the term "culture shock," a concept that became central to understanding the psychological impact of relocating to a new culture. He described culture shock as a condition with identifiable causes, symptoms, and remedies. According to Oberg, individuals undergoing culture shock often experience feelings of disorientation, frustration, and anxiety when confronted with unfamiliar cultural norms and practices. His observations highlighted the universal nature of this phenomenon, emphasizing that all human beings are susceptible to it when they move to a different cultural environment.

Oberg's work in applied anthropology extended beyond theoretical contributions; he actively shared his findings to help others navigate cross-cultural experiences. His legacy continues to influence the fields of anthropology and international development, providing a framework for understanding and managing cultural transitions.

Kalervo Oberg passed away in 1973, leaving behind a rich legacy of anthropological insights and a deeper understanding of the human experience across cultures. His concept of culture shock remains a fundamental idea in the study of cultural adaptation and continues to resonate in an increasingly globalized world.
Kalervo Oberg: Pioneer of Culture Shock

Navigating Culture Shock: Challenges of Adapting to a New Culture

Living and working in a foreign culture can be a profoundly lonely and frustrating experience. This stems from the necessity to often disregard much of one's own cultural background in order to adapt to a new environment. This process of adaptation, though essential, can be disorienting and challenging. In trying to fit in and get along with new customs and societal norms, individuals frequently encounter a phenomenon known as culture shock.

Culture shock is the intense feeling of disorientation, depression, and frustration that arises when people begin to understand the vast differences between their familiar way of life and that of the new environment. This phenomenon is not limited to anthropologists studying distant cultures; it affects anyone who spends significant time outside their own country, or even within a different subculture in their own country. Tourists, immigrants, expatriates, and international students all often experience culture shock.

The onset of culture shock can be traced back to the deep-rooted training every individual undergoes within their society. From birth, people are taught to accept and follow the values and unwritten rules of their culture. This training goes beyond mere compliance driven by fear of punishment or social isolation. Rather, it instills a belief in the superiority and correctness of one's own cultural practices. The values and norms of one's native culture are internalized to such an extent that they are viewed as the best and most appropriate way for all people to live.

Consequently, when individuals are exposed to a different culture with its own distinct set of values and norms, the initial reaction is often one of shock and rejection. The new way of doing things, which does not align with their ingrained value system, can seem wrong or even repugnant. This cognitive dissonance between the known and the unfamiliar is at the heart of culture shock.

Recent studies highlight the pervasive nature of culture shock in our increasingly globalized world. With more people moving across borders for work, study, and travel, understanding and managing culture shock has become crucial. Effective cross-cultural training and support systems can help mitigate the adverse effects of culture shock, enabling smoother transitions and more enriching experiences in foreign environments.

In conclusion, culture shock is an inevitable part of experiencing a new culture. It is a complex emotional response that stems from the deep-seated values and norms instilled by one's native culture. By recognizing and addressing culture shock, individuals can better navigate the challenges of adapting to new cultural landscapes, ultimately leading to a more harmonious and fulfilling intercultural experience.
Navigating Culture Shock: Challenges of Adapting to a New Culture

Different stages of culture shock

Culture shock is the expression generally associated with the frustrations that occur when the person have difficulty functioning in a different culture or when the person expose to individuals from another culture. Overtime different labels appeared to describe the various stages of culture shock.

There are five stages of culture shock:
First stage
The first stage of initial contact or the ‘honeymoon stage,’ is where the newly arrived individual experiences the curiosity and excitement of a tourist. This phase emphasize on the initial reactions of euphoria, enchantment, fascination and enthusiasm.

Second stage
It involves disintegrations of the old familiar cues, and the individual is overwhelmed by the new cultures requirements. It characterized by feelings of inadequacy, frustration, anxiety and anger.

Third stage
The adjustment, reorientation and gradual recovery phase, the third stage involves a reintegration of new cues and an increased ability to function in the new culture. It is the adjustment stage. The emotions associated with this stage are typically anger and resentment toward the new culture as having caused difficulties and being less adequate than the old familiar ways.

Fourth stage
The fourth stage continues the process of reintegration toward gradual autonomy and increased ability to see the bad and good elements in both the old and the new cultures.

Fifth stage
The fifth stage is described as reciprocal interdependence, where the person has ideally achieved biculturality, or has become fluently comfortable in both the old and the new cultures. This is the stabilization stage and the final period of culture shock when the person has resolved thee earlier confusion and have achieved a balanced outlook.
Different stages of culture shock

Kalervo Oberg (1901 -1973) – anthropologist who introduced the term ‘culture shock’

Kalervo Oberg (1901 -1973) – anthropologist who introduced the term ‘culture shock’
He was born in British Columbia to Finnish parents in 1901. Kalervo Oberg was known as a world renowned anthropologist. He was a civil servant and a teacher.

He graduated from University of British Columbia with Bachelor of Economics before proceed to Master of Economics from University of Pittsburgh. He earned his doctorate from University of Chicago with dissertation, the Social Economy of the Tlingit Indians of Alaska.

He loved with his fieldwork and his extensive and wide ranging fieldwork was his biggest accomplishment. Oberg then worked in various government postings overseas, including the Institute of Inter-American Affairs, forerunner of the U.S. Agency for International Development, with assignments including Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Surinam.

He traveled the world and wrote about the experiences so others could enjoy them as well. He was a world-renowned applied anthropologist. He was the first to introduce the term "Culture shock" and he was the best known coined for the idea in 1954. He found that all human beings experience the same feelings when they travel to or live in a different country or culture.

He found that culture shock is almost like a disease: it has a cause, symptoms and a cure. Kalervo Oberg died in 1973.
Kalervo Oberg (1901 -1973) – anthropologist who introduced the term ‘culture shock’

Culture shock

Culture shock
Living and working in a foreign culture can be lonely and frustrating; we must disregard much of our own cultural background in order to get along in the new situation. In the process of shedding our cultural preferences, we often experience what is called culture shock.

This is not limited to anthropologists; if you have ever spent much time outside your own country, or even in a different subculture within your country, you have probably had a taste of it.

Culture shock is the feeling of depression and frustration that overcome people when they first begin to comprehend the tremendous difference between the way of life they are used to and the way of life in the new setting. It happens to all people, not just anthropologists but immigrants, tourists and anyone else who must get used to different way of life.

Why does culture shock occur? In the process of being brought up in a society, every person is trained to accept the values of the group and to follow its unwritten rules of behavior. But it does not stop, for acceptance if a particular way of life is not based simply on fear of punishment or social isolation.

As part of the process of learning a culture, we are taught to believe in that culture, to feel that it is the right way and the best way to live. Its value are not merely seen as the ones that fit that particular way of life; they are thought to be the best ones for all people. Any way of doing things that does follow the same value system is wrong, if not repugnant.
Culture shock