Towards Growthful Re-entry
by Linda Edwards OlsonWhat is re-entry culture shock?
It is simply the transition into one's home culture after having lived for a time in another culture. It is often characterized by an accentuation of confrontation with the person's own identity and just how culturally bound he or she is.
What causes this re-entry time to be difficult for some?
Generally it is because the individual has changed or is changing in attitudes and values and comes back to an environment that has not changed in the same direction. (For long-termers the environment may have changed drastically from the environment they originally left. This is not usually true for summer short-termers.) The deeper these attitude and value changes are in the individual, the more likely that the transition period will be unsettling.
Specifically, some of the points of dissonance a returnee may experience may touch on the following areas:
- reaction to the affluence of one's own culture
- reaction to superficial values presented in the media
- adjusting to role changes or undefined roles; an ambiguous home situation
- minimal responsibility as compared to their short-term responsibility
- a disillusionment with one's church over their abundance and seeming lack of concern for the world
- a seeming lack of genuinely concerned friends who will and want to listen
- an inability to express or share the experience and resulting changes
- an awareness of habits or behaviors that were second nature before they left and now seem meaningless or disturbing as they come back into their culture
How do people handle this re-entry time?
There are basically 3 different reactions to this transition time:
- The Assimilators seem to slide right back into the home culture with little to no problem and appear almost to have forgotten the summer. These students may seem to have adjusted well but may have missed out on the greatest growth opportunity, for they do not seem to integrate the things they saw, learned and questioned into a new view of life and the world.
- The Alienators seem to reject the home culture, although for short-termers this may not last very long. They may become very pessimistic and critical of the home culture, realizing that they too have been a part of it. They seem limited in their ability to see the range of social structures and their appropriateness and are "stuck" in their ability to create personal alternatives for life values. They may finally succumb to the home culture out of a need to belong somewhere. Again, this reaction does not afford a growthful re-entry time.
- The Integrator is the one who expects the dissonance he or she is experiencing although maybe not in each form it appears. They are able to identify the changes they have undergone or are still experiencing and do not demand immediate closure on them. They desire to see their short-term have a lasting impact on their life and the lives of others. This means that they will grapple with how to integrate the things they saw, learned and questioned into creative alternative choices.
How can I become an Integrator or help someone else become one and experience growthful re-entry?
There are no pat answers to this, but there are some helpful guidelines for you or the person you are helping:
- Upon initial re-entry, you may experience many physical changes: tiredness, apathy, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, etc. These are normal especially if a long flight has been sustained. Balanced diet, balanced sleep and balanced exercise should not be taken lightly. This will help to bring the body back in balance! (It will also help emotionally.)
- Unmet expectations: Since this is the major problem for the returnee, it is best discussed before the short-termer even goes out. If you can anticipate the changes as you come back you will be one step ahead. Try to identify what the sources of dissonance are now as you return. What values, attitudes are changing?
- Debrief with others who will listen and ask questions: What did you do? Whom did you meet? How did you live? What was the easiest? What was most difficult? What was funny? What was sad? What did you learn about yourself? The other culture? What did you learn about the church? About God? (Find one person who will spend time with you in this way.)
- If you kept a journal, go over one entry a day and ask God to teach you something new or remind you of something out of that entry. Continue to write in a journal with thoughts, feelings, insights and prayers.
- Pray - alone, with others, with a prayer partner; pray for the people you met, the church, yourself, the people with whom you want to share.
- Give yourself a spiritual checkup: Do I feel closer or more distant from God? What will help my love for Christ grow? A new Quiet Time? A few long walks and prayer? A day alone with the Lord? Be creative but be disciplined and do not forget the forgiving Father.
- Recall the successes and accomplishments of the short-term and develop a list of gifts and strengths that God gave and affirmed.
- Become a story teller. Learn to tell short stories from your short term that will speak quickly to those with whom you want to share.
- Learn how to answer not despise the question, "How was your summer?" Use a few descriptive words and ask if you can spend more time together sharing from both of your summers.
Is there life after the short term?
There most certainly is! And the ones who have the greatest impact upon others as a result are those who take the time to process and integrate their experience and draw up some plans for action as a result of it. Let us pray this year that all returning short-termers to campuses can by the power of the Holy Spirit integrate their short-term experiences into their life now and effect change in others for the mission of Christ's Church.
Adapted from Student Training in Missions Manual, 1992
Unless otherwise noted, all materials on the urbana.org web site are Copyright InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA. All rights reserved.
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