Culture Shock

This week in sociology we learned about culture shock, which is when you have lived with a certain set of norms, and you then enter a completely different set of standards or customs. My teacher gave us the example of someone bringing a fish home in a plastic bag from a pet store. When they place the fish in a bowl the fish will experience a culture shock whether it's the a change in size, temperature, or material items. Another example is that in America one is used to seeing mothers strolling their babies in their strollers and taking their children into restaurants. If an American mother were to travel to Denmark, they would face a culture shock when they see that mother’s in Denmark leave their baby carriages on the sidewalk with the mindset that children constantly need fresh air.

 I faced a culture shock when I visited Iran seven years ago. I speak some Persian (primary language spoken in Iran) with my parents at home, but this was the first time that I was in a nation where everyone spoke the language. It was hard for me to adjust because everyone spoke so fast. In addition to their rate in speaking, the bathroom in my aunt’s house was a hole in the floor. It was hard for me to get acquainted with this way of living. For the first week of my stay I was constantly at my grandma’s house since she had a “normal” toilet. Although this trip was a complete step outside of my bubble of norms, it was an extremely influential that I hope to take again in the near future.