Culture Shock Triggered by More or Less Cultural Actants

Abstract

Culture shock results from losing our familiar signs and symbols. These signs include so manyways to approach (to) the situations of daily life: when to shake hands, when and how to give tips, (…), howto make purchases, when to accept or refuse invitations, when to take statements seriously and when not. Thatmay be words, gestures, facial expressions, customs or norms acquired during our growing up and are part ofour culture. Our success and efficiency depend on it. As one who travelled a lot across Europe, I observedsome cultural shocks who affected me directly, that is why I present and analyze them here, in order to avoidany inconveniences of the kind to my students or colleagues.

Keywords

• multiculturalism
• interculturalism
• background
• globalization