Culture is a term used by social scientists for a people's whole way of life.

In everyday conversation the word 'culture' may refer to activities in such fields as art, literature, and music. But to social scientists, a people's culture consists of all the ideas, objects, and ways of doing things created by the group. Culture includes arts, beliefs, customs, inventions, language, technology and traditions. A culture is any way of life, simple or complex. Culture consists of learned ways of acting, feeling and thinking, rather than biologically determined ways. Culture is acquired by people because it consists of learned patterns of behavior rather than the biologically determined ones that are sometimes called instinctive. Culture is a complex whole that social scientists can break down into simple units called 'cultural traits.' A trait may be a custom, such as burial of the dead; a device, such as a plow; a gesture, such as a handshake; or and idea, such as democracy. What are basic elements of all cultures? All cultures have features that result from basic needs shared by all people. Every culture has methods of obtaining food and shelter. Every culture has ways to protect itself against invaders. It also has family relationships including forms of marriage and systems of kinship. A culture has religious beliefs and a set of practices to express them. All societies have forms of artistic expression such as carving, painting and music. In addition, all cultures have some type of scientific knowledge. This knowledge may be folklore about the plants people eat and the animals they hunt, or it may be a highly developed science. How do cultures differ? Cultures differ in their details from one part of the world to another. For example, eating is a biological need. But what people eat, when and how they eat, and how food is prepared differ from culture to culture. When did culture develop and how? The foundation for human culture developed in the prehistoric times. Some important steps were (1) the development of tools, (2) the start of farming, (3) the growth of cities, and (4) the development of writing.

Hunters/Gatherers. The ancestors of human beings lived by gathering fruit, insects and edible leaves and by catching small animals with their hands. They took the first steps toward the development of culture at least 5 million years ago, when they learned to make and use tools. Many of the earliest tools were sharp-edged rocks used for cutting and scraping. The sharp edge was produced by hitting or grinding one rock with another. Culture is an integral part of every society. It is a learned pattern of behavior and ways in which a person lives his or her life. Culture is essential for the existence of a society, because it binds people together. In the explicit sense of the term, culture constitutes the music, food, arts and literature of a society. However, these are only the products of culture followed by the society and cannot be defined as culture. Culture shock is the difficulty people have adjusting to a new culture that differs markedly from their own. Honeymoon phase

During this period, the differences between the old and new culture are seen in a romantic light, wonderful and new. For example, in moving to a new country, an individual might love the new foods, the pace of the life, the people's habits, the buildings and so on. During the first few weeks, most people are fascinated by the new culture. They associate with the nationals that speak their language and are polite to the foreigners. This period is full of observations and new discoveries. Like most honeymoon periods, this stage eventually ends.[3] "When an individual sets out to study, live or work in a new country, he or she will invariably experience difficulties with language, housing, friends, school, work..."
[edit]Negotiation

phase

After some time (usually three months but sometimes sooner or later, depending on the individual), differences between the old and new culture become apparent and may create anxiety. Excitement may eventually give way to unpleasant feelings of frustration and anger as one continues to experience unfavorable events that may be perceived as strange and offensive to one's cultural attitude. Language barriers, stark differences in public hygiene, traffic safety, food accessibility and

quality may heighten the sense of disconnection from the surroundings.

[4]

While being transferred into a different environment puts special pressure on communication skills, there are practical difficulties to overcome, such asbiological clock disruption that often leads to insomnia and daylight drowsiness; adaptation of intestinal flora to different bacteria levels and concentrations in food and water; difficulty in seeking treatment for illness, as medicines may have different names from the native country's and the same active ingredientsmight be hard to recognize. Still, the most important change in the period is communication: those people who are adjusting to a new culture would feel lonely and homesick because they must get used to the new environment and meet people with whom they are not familiar every day. The language barrier may become a major obstacle in creating new relationships: special attention must be paid to one's and others' culture-specific body language signs, linguistic faux pas, conversation tone, linguistic nuances and customs, and false friends. Due to the strain of living in a different country without parental support, some students might develop additional symptoms of loneliness, ultimately affecting the lifestyle as a whole. International students therefore often feel anxious and have a higher pressure in adjusting to the new cultures. This is even more valid when the cultural distance is wide, as logical and speech patterns are different and a special emphasis is put on rhetorics.
[edit]Adjustment

phase

Again, after some time (usually 6 to 12 months), one grows accustomed to the new culture and develops routines. One knows what to expect in most situations and the host country no longer feels all that new. One becomes concerned with basic living again, and things become more "normal". One starts to develop problem-solving skills for dealing with the culture, and begins to accept the culture ways with a positive attitude. The culture begins to make sense, and negative reactions and responses to the culture are reduced.

[edit]Mastery

phase

In the mastery stage assignees are able to participate fully and comfortably in the host culture. Mastery does not mean total conversion; people often keep many traits from their earlier culture, such as accents and languages. It is often referred to as the biculturalism stage.
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Transition shock
Culture shock is a subcategory of a more universal construct called transition shock. Transition shock is a state of loss and disorientation predicated by a change in one's familiar environment which requires adjustment. There are many symptoms of transition shock, some which include:

excessive concern over cleanliness and health feelings of helplessness and withdrawal irritability glazed stare desire for home and old friends physiological stress reactions homesickness boredom withdrawal getting "stuck" on one thing excessive sleep compulsive eating/drinking/weight gain stereotyping host nationals hostility towards host nationals[8