Achterbahn der Gefühle In den 60er Jahren stellten Gullahorn & Gullahorn in ihrer empirischen Forschung fest, was viele Auslandsrückkehrer intuitiv spürten: Rückkehrer von einem Auslandsaufenthalt erleiden während der Wiederanpassung an das Heimatland ähnliche Stresssymptome, wie bei der Anpassung an das Gastland zu Beginn des Auslandseinsatzes. Sie entwickelten daraus die W-Kurve der Akkulturation, die ich bereits in meinem Blog-Artikel „Why we experience Culture Shock“ abgebildet habe….
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My own re-entry experiences – Part 1
To be honest, I’ve been avoiding to write this article for quite some time. As I look back, things could have been a lot easier. If I had known back then what I know now about transition, culture shock, re-entry shock and Third Culture Kids, and if I had received specialized support, then…! Then I would have been spared some detours and some very rough…
Re-Entry – Mixed feelings about coming home
Everyone experiences the return after an expat assignment in their own individual way. Whether as the assignee, partner or child, everyone finds their way back home at their own pace. In addition to your own personality, several factors play a role: Will I move back to my old place of residence or will I move to a completely new region? How often have I already…
Rückkehr war jedes Mal anders – Teil 1
Jetzt mal „Butter bei die Fische“ – Wie waren denn eigentlich meine eigenen Rückkehr-Erfahrungen? Lange habe ich mich um das Schreiben dieses Artikels gedrückt. Denn rückblickend hätte ich es mir eigentlich nicht so schwer machen müssen. Wenn ich das gewusst hätte, was ich im Laufe der letzten Jahre über Veränderungsprozesse, Kulturschock, Rückkehrschock und Third Culture Kids gelernt habe, und wenn ich spezialisierte Unterstützung erhalten hätte,…
Rückkehr aus dem Ausland – Zwischen Heimatgefühlen und Entfremdung
Die Rückkehr nach einer Auslandsentsendung erlebt jeder auf seine ganz individuelle Weise. Ob als Entsandte(r), mitausreisende(r) Partner(in) oder Kind, jeder findet sich in seinem eigenen Tempo wieder in der Heimat zurecht. Dabei spielen neben der eigenen Persönlichkeit mehrere Faktoren eine Rolle: Ziehe ich an den alten Wohnort zurück oder geht es in eine ganz neue Region? Wie oft war ich bereits im Ausland? Wie lange…
Our cultural roles
„Who are you? And if so, how many?“ This is the title of a well-known German philosophy book on identity by Richard David Precht and it fits perfectly for this article! As mentioned in my previous article, we should stop thinking in terms of countries and national cultures when we talk about culture. You will most probably not define yourself as „typically Mexican“ or „typically…
How to communicate and collaborate effectively in foreign cultures?
The knowledge about culture and cultural dimensions is certainly an important starting point, but it is not sufficient. To be truly effective in foreign cultures, you need to develop the skills to transfer your knowledge into effective behavior. And practice! Andy Molinsky provides a set of very helpful strategies step by step in his book „Global Dexterity“. By Global Dexterity he refers to „the capacity…
Why we experience culture shock
Expatriation can be one of the most exciting periods of your life, but also one the most challenging. Have you heard of the expat curve or the stages of acculturation? Did you experience culture shock after moving abroad or re-entry shock when you returned back home? Take a look at the following graphic that depicts the different stages of acculturation. I also recommend this…
Our cultural roles
„Who are you? And if so, how many?“ This is the title of a well-known German philosophy book on identity by Richard David Precht and it fits perfectly for this article! As mentioned in my previous article, we should stop thinking in terms of countries and national cultures when we talk about culture. You will most probably not define yourself as „typically Mexican“ or „typically…
How to communicate and collaborate effectively in foreign cultures?
The knowledge about culture and cultural dimensions is certainly an important starting point, but it is not sufficient. To be truly effective in foreign cultures, you need to develop the skills to transfer your knowledge into effective behavior. And practice! Andy Molinsky provides a set of very helpful strategies step by step in his book „Global Dexterity“. By Global Dexterity he refers to „the capacity…