Coping with Culture Shock on Volunteer Vacations

Learning Etiquette, Customs, Language Can Lower Cultural Barriers

© Karen Berger

Feb 28, 2009

Most travelers are familiar with the helpless feeling of confusion when nothing in a foreign country makes sense, from how the street signs read to how the toilets flush. International volunteers, who are often isolated from others who speak their language, and who face social structures they don't understand and a barrage of unfamiliar daily obstacles, can be especially at risk for the frustration and confusion of culture shock

Most short-term volunteer vacations include lots of support, with volunteers working in teams under the supervision of a guide or leader who knows the ropes. But those who stay on longer, live with a family, or work in isolated areas may be especially susceptible.

How to Prepare for a Volunteer Vacation to Prevent Culture Shock

• Read up on the destination. The hapless foreigner struggling through an incomprehensible foreign country is a staple of travel literature. Read both travel guides and books about writers' personal experiences. Everyone struggles with homesickness, disorientation, frustration, and the feeling of, just for once, wishing that there was a MacDonald's in sight.
• Learn local etiquette. Many cultures have customs that are unfamiliar, or seem bizarre, to foreigners. A gesture that seems merely emphatic to a westerner may be considered unpardonable somewhere else. (For example, shaking a finger at someone in Egypt is considered unspeakably insulting.) Guidebooks can help. So can talking with a native of the country.
• Language: Immersion is generally considered the most effective way to learn a foreign language, but everyone learns differently. Anyone can benefit from pre-trip study, even if it only covers basic vocabulary and the rules of structuring a sentence. If the alphabet is different, learn the numbers to be able to shop and pay for things..
• Talk to someone who has made the trip. What did they find challenging? Surprising? Unpleasant?

Minimizing Culture Shock Upon Arrival in a Foreign Country

• Try to talk. Adults are often afraid to make mistakes for fear of looking stupid. But most of the time, locals are patient and helpful to anyone who tries to communicate. Keep conversations as simple and clear as possible.
• Don't assume "everyone speaks English." While English has become the global second language, the important word is "second."
• Remember who the visitor is. (Hint: it isn't the locals!) It's pointless to be indignant that people don't do things the way they do at home. When in Rome...
• Understand the limitations of a project. The best-intentioned plans might run afoul of strongly entrenched traditions. The reality of extreme poverty in many developing countries might simply make it impossible for people to take a longer environmental view.
• Younger volunteers may not be taken seriously in cultures where age is respected and revered. (The same can happen with women, especially young women, in traditional male-dominated cultures.) Seeking an ally or a well-placed local friend can smooth introductions.
• Be sensitive to local customs regarding dress, modesty, and gender relations.

Coping with Culture Shock

• Phone home! Or e-mail. Internet cafes are available in much of the world (though not all of it). Friends at home can be supportive, but don't let social networking become an escape. It's easy to become homesick when conditions in the bush are challenging and everyone is having fun at home.
• Hook up with other volunteers. Trade stories: Commiserating and learning from each other's successes can both be helpful.
• Take a break. A trip to the nearest city won't be a trip home, but it can be a rejuvenating break.

Finally, keep a good perspective and a sense of humor. A volunteer may not change the world, but the experience will leave a permanent, hopefully positive, mark on both visitor and the host.

Communicating with Smiles in Egypt

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