If you ever decide to move to another country for a period of time longer than just a couple of weeks, you are very likely to go through the process of acculturation. Your feelings and perception of the new reality will change and you will experience a sequence of ups and downs, which at the end will result in either acceptance or rejection of the new culture.

There are 5 stages in the process of acculturation:

1. Enthusiastic Acceptance.

2. Doubt and Reservation.

3. Resentment and Criticism.

4. Adjustment.

5. Accommodation and Evaluation.

First contact with a different culture is usually an exciting experience. Everything is new and fascinating. It’s like being on a treasure hunt. We explore the surroundings and discover new things with every step we take. Sometimes, this stage is also referred to as a honeymoon. Just like newlyweds, we tend to ignore or overlook any flaws and focus on the novelty of the situation we’re in.

After a while, though, we start growing accustomed to our new environment and our perception changes. Our excitement fades, we start our studies or work, and everyday routine kicks in. At that moment, it usually occurs to us that not everything is as perfect as it initially seemed. Slight inconveniences, such as lack of certain amenities, which we were used to back in our country of origin, start to be blown out of proportion. Instead of further exploring our new situation, we withdraw and have second thoughts. Was it worth it? Is it really a place for me? We tend to ask ourselves lots of questions underpinned with doubt and anxiety.

We go into culture shock which can manifest itself through irritability, hostility or even panic. Little things, which initially seemed to be curiosities, can now make us fly off the handle. We start comparing the culture we found ourselves in with the culture of the country of our origin, and we come to a conclusion that, in many cases, our old culture has the advantage over the new one. We miss foodstuffs which are not available to us now. We’re far from being objective in our assessment of our current place of domicile.

Most people manage to overcome the difficulties connected with this stage and proceed to make necessary adjustments to feel comfortable in new circumstances. The moment we realise that our unhappiness results from our subjective perception of reality and not really from the shortcomings of the place we found ourselves in, we enter that stage of adaptation. By this time, we usually have more knowledge about the functioning of our new community and we can tweak our behaviour and mindset accordingly.

Finally, we reach the point of accommodation, when we accept the new environment as our own and start feeling a full member of it. We have made friends with people around us and have our routines and favourite places to go. We accept the new culture as our own and start to enjoy the experience of participating in it.

The whole process can take a few years and its different stages will be longer for some people and shorter for others. Unfortunately, some people will get stuck in the doubt and reservation or the resentment and criticism stage and never proceed to adjusting to the new situation. Some of them will leave the country and go back to their place of origin, unable to adapt to the new place.

Autorka: Anna Posyniak‑Dutka