Abstract
This paper explains that culture shock is often an inevitable roadblock that is faced by individuals relocating or studying in a foreign country. Next, the paper describes the six distinct stages most people go through when dealing with cultural shock and discusses strategies for coping with the feelings associated with culture shock.

What is Culture Shock?
Various Stages of Cultural Shock
First Stage - Honeymoon Period or "Look, They Serve Fish and Chips
Here. Lovely!"
Second Stage - Culture Shock or "Ugh...I Hate Fish and Chips!"
Third Stage - Recovery, or "I Don't Mind Fish and Chips So Much"
Fourth Stage - Renewed Culture Shock, or "I Take It Back, Fish and
Chips Stink"
Fifth Stage - Breakthrough, or "I Still Don't Like Fish and Chips, But I
Can See Why You Like Them"
Sixth Stage - Re-integration, or "Where Can I Buy Fish and Chips Around
Here?"
Factors Crucial to Intercultural Adjustments
Conclusions

From the Paper
"Culture can be defined in a number of different ways and through a myriad of various examples. It is a fluid concept; one that is constantly evolving due to factors such as globalization and the media. Neither every person one encounters nor every country one visits is going to hold fast to the stereotypes typically associated with them. Each person will display their own unique behavior or way of viewing things. However, it is important to understand that culture, as a concept, is something that a person or groups of people are born into. It is a set of norms, values and beliefs that one learns through the process of socialization. Culture, therefore, forms a conceptual lens, through which groups of people see themselves, their country, and the rest of the world."

Tags:condition, confusion, anxiety, exposed, alien, milieu, oberg, strain, loss, deprivation

From the Paper
"As the global marketplace develops, American companies are finding more and more that there is a need for management to have a better understanding of how to do business in foreign environments, how to manage a foreign-born workforce, and how to communicate with foreign customers, workers, and even competitors. American managers have also been noting the success of certain foreign companies and have been asking what elements might be borrowed from these successful efforts and adapted to the American company to make it more competitive. Each of these forces is causing a rethinking of the standard American way of doing business, and a reconsideration of how best to approach different cultures in order to make American business more successful overall. Managers need to understand the role of cultural differences, ... "

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Abstract
This paper discusses the impact that cultural events have on tourism. Specific areas described are Southeast Asia and Middle Eastern nations. It looks at how the local culture impacts tourism and is also impacted by tourism.

From the Paper
"Our own cultural heritage is deeply engrained into our psychic beliefs in such a way that we may never fully understand the deep effects that it plays on our everyday lives. This cultural identity is often tested when one ventures outside of this comfort area. This often occurs when an individual travels outside their local area or country. Cultural shock is often the result of this rapid, unknown change."

Tags:beliefs, business, commerce, cultures, international, shock, shopping, trade

Abstract
This paper explores the subject matter addressed in the films of Pedro Almodovar, who after Franco's death was a firm proponent of the La Movida Madrilena. By examining Almodovar's films "Pepi, Luci, Bom, y Las Otras Chicas del Monton" and "Entre Tinieblas," the paper explains how crudity and comical portrayal of Spanish culture, or "shock-factor," serve to allow the public to question their former belief systems. By examining the filming technique in these two films, the paper concludes that ultimately, Almodovar wanted to represent a Spain that was modern, liberal, tolerant, and perhaps even visionary as the country shifted from dictatorship to democracy.

From the Paper
"Prior to this revolution, the Supreme Board of Film Censorship used a full range of measures to regulate film production. Historical epics, musical comedies, and religious dramas dominated Spanish production through the forties and fifties, while American films (with their emphasis on entertainment rather than social or political critique) shared the approval as acceptable foreign films. During the sixties however, the regime realized the value of using Spain's film industry to construct an image of a modern nation and lessened its hold.
"With this background information, we can proceed to analyze Almodovar's films in greater detail. In the first sequence of Pepi, Luci, Bom y las otras chicas del monton or Pepi, Luci, Bom and the Other Ordinary Girls (1980), lesbian-punk schoolgirl Pepi (played by Carmen Maura) gets raped by her cop neighbor. In the next sequence, the audience sees her dressed up in a bright sequined top, pacing back and forth, scheming about her revenge (she is upset because the virginity she had saved to acquire value was taken by some guy who did not even pay her properly). Contrary to religious ideologies, Pepi's view of her virginity and sexuality does not relate to any conventional ideas of sacredness or purity. In fact, aside from her concern with the loss of money-value for her virginity, she does not feel violated, humiliated, used or male-dominated by the rape. In this way, Almodovar completely disregards existing cultural notions about rape in terms of socially instilled feelings of gender inequality, sex, and receiving money for sex. In the absence of any attempt by Almodovar to address these issues in the scene, the audience is likely to be somewhat shocked and a bit confused. The goal of this is to set a stage where no preconceptions exist, with the purpose of creating an unbiased mindset for the rest of the film."

Tags:Franco, Movida, Madrilena

Abstract
In this article, the writer looks at the past, present and possible future of celebrity culture. The writer maintains that celebrity culture is no longer an elusive culture that keeps the public intrigued because of a world that seems so distant and fantasy-like. The writer discusses that there is a definite shift happening in the world of celebrity and its impact on regular people. The writer further maintains that it is a cheap culture that is all about shock and awe. The writer concludes that celebrity culture will only have a negative impact on our society as a whole if people don't realize that what they are subscribing to is not real - it is all a fabrication.

From the Paper
"Today, the word "celebrity" refers to anyone who is in the public eye. A king is a celebrity as much as Britney Spears; Sarah Palin becomes a celebrity when impersonated by Tina Fey. There is no distinction in the world of celebrity culture; you are a celebrity or you are not - the difference is what role you play in that culture. For example, Britney Spears, for a year or more, occupied the lives of many people thanks to tabloids and shows like E! Everyone wanted to see what she would do next. When she started doing scandalous things like driving with her baby on her lap and showing up undergarment-less in public, people were interested. The need to know what she would do next had more to do with scandal and curiosity than it did with worry."

Tags:paparazzi, gossip, role, fascination

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses that commerce and business are pushing people from different cultures together much more rapidly on a global scale than has ever been true in the past, and this is just accentuating culture shock. Throughout this assessment, two contrasting examples are provided. The writer first discusses Indian call center employees learning Western dialects and diction to be more accepted. Then the writer examines the story of Silvio Napoli and looks at his many challenges in trying to fit into the Indian approach to doing business. The writer notes these two examples are very topical given the current focus on India. Finally, lessons learned and a short series of observations are provided.

From the Paper
"Taking from example one of the many stories in The World Is Flat, Thomas Friedman notes that call center employees in India are taking voice training and diction courses to deliberately sound more westernized to inbound callers from the U.S., U.K., Canada and other English-speaking nations. Experiences of call center representatives who have gone through this training indicate that higher levels of customer satisfaction are achieved and less derogatory comments made about outsourcing in general occur when callers think they are more westernized. Just one of many examples of the dynamics of the Indian culture being influenced by western values and cultural norms, the ongoing training of Indians to sound more like westerners casts an unflattering light on the entire aspect of globalization. The elimination of regional differences in culture to "fit in" globally also highlights how strong ethnocentric behavior influences others, even half a world away, in a matter of minutes on a telephone call. This reaction to the world shrinking in terms of who each of us interact with every day to get things done personally and professionally is driving changes in behavior no government, organization or company can dictate."

Tags:culture, international, nation, business

Abstract
This paper discusses a series of conversations the writer recently had with a homeless person. The paper explains how these interactions provided an opportunity for learning about someone else's culture, an opportunity to understand individual as well as cultural differences, an opportunity to enjoy shared experiences, and a chance to grasp the day-to-day exigencies of this individual's life. The paper further explores a number of themes - culture shock, stereotyping and various theoretical concepts. In conclusion, the paper shows that people who are different from ourselves may seem frightening at first glance, but their humanity becomes more and more undeniable the more we allow ourselves to understand and appreciate the cultures within which they operate.

From the Paper
"To begin with, this writer conducted a series of sit-down interviews with a homeless person residing in the local community. Initially, the contact was strictly visual as the writer sought to gain a sense of the man and a sense of what his state of mind was. Not long thereafter, however, a verbal line of communication was opened - largely because I offered to buy him a cup of coffee and because I made it clear to him that his life story was of interest to me. During the course of our conversation at the local Starbucks, I became self-conscious and vaguely uncomfortable - not least of all because a number of people took to staring at the odd couple in their midst."

Tags:social, identity, communication, cultural, differences, shared, experiences

Abstract
The following paper reviews a series of conversations author recently had with a homeless person. In so doing, the paper notes how these interactions provided an opportunity for learning about someone else's culture, an opportunity to understand individual as well as cultural differences, an opportunity to enjoy shared experiences, and a chance to grasp the day-to-day exigencies of this individual's life. Going further, the paper also explores a number of themes - culture shock, stereotyping and various theoretical concepts/principles that are applicable to any exploration of this kind.

From the Paper
"As most North Americans are no doubt aware, our society is becoming ever-more diverse. Because of this, and because the world as a whole is growing smaller courtesy ever-improving communications technology, it is increasingly important that professionals and ordinary citizens hone their capabilities to interact productively with peoples from other cultures. With that in mind, the following paper will review a series of conversations this writer recently had with a homeless person. In so doing, it will be noted how these interactions provided an opportunity for..."

Tags:homeless, culture, learning

Abstract
"The Peace Corps education program is a beacon of light in the international community. Daily, Peace Corps volunteers overcome the challenges of culture shock, scarce instructional resources, and interpersonal relations to teach a wide range of subjects from English to new housing construction.

From the Paper
"The Peace Corps education program is a beacon of light in the international community. Daily, Peace Corps volunteers overcome the challenges of culture shock, scarce instructional resources, and interpersonal relations to teach a wide range of subjects from English to new housing construction. Volunteers insist that they have learned more from their host countries than they themselves have contributed.
The Peace Corps is an agency of the U.S. government. Established in 1961, the Corps has three goals. The first is to provide trained manpower for Third World nations. The second goal is to teach foreign people about American culture, through contact with Americans. And the third goal is to afford volunteers the opportunity to learn about other cultures, again through firsthand contact. The education function of the Peace ..."

Abstract
In this essay, the writer presents an analysis of cross-cultural management, based on an article by Tomoko Masumoto entitled 'Learning to 'Do Time' in Japan: A Study of US Interns in Japanese Organizations'. The writer reviews and discusses the article, which presents a theoretical framework for analyzing the impact of U.S.-based interns traveling to work in corporations in Japan. The article specifically focuses on studying how time is perceived differently between the Japanese managers and the U.S. intern counterparts. The writer defines the framework in the article discussed as focusing on how the expectations of time itself vary between the two groups, measures the time taken to adapt and become productive, and also defines how space allocation and use of space correlate to the Japanese perception of time. The writer points out that this shared space and socialization aspect of the study presents a culture shock to American students, who have long equated status and independence with the relative level of privacy in American and westernized corporations. The writer notes that the study concludes with an analysis of the variation of how the relative level of feedback and its frequency fuel a sense of security on the job or not, and also with an analysis of short-versus long-term orientation on the part of each group.

Outline:
Synopsis
Assessment of the Theoretical Framework
Assessment of the Research Approach
Implications for Individuals Working Multinationally with the Japanese

From the Paper
"The work completed by Masumoto has major implications not only for expatriates working in Japan yet for anyone going to work for a Japanese company anywhere in a westernized nation. The vast differences in how space is allocated are diametrically opposed to how western nations view work space given in companies being more of a relative indicator of independence, individuality, achievement and status. In Japan there more of an orientation on arranging working space to speed up the assimilation and socialization process. This is a critical point for anyone joining a Japanese corporation anywhere in the world to keep in mind, as many Japanese corporations continue this practice of using space for collaboration in the U,S, and Europe as well."

Tags:time, space, culture, privacy