International House Berkeley

THE CULTURE CORNER RE-ENTRY SHOCK Have you ever returned from extended time abroad and found that "home" is now foreign to you? You may have experienced reverse culture shock or what is also known as "reBreidi Truscott Roberts entry" shock. What used to be so familiar in your home culture suddenly feels odd compared to what you had grown so accustomed to in the place where you were traveling. Reverse culture shock can actually be more difficult to deal with than the initial transition to living in a new culture since the experience is such a surprise. I remember a colleague describing his re-entry shock when returning to live in the U.S. after years in Japan. He continued to bow at everyone for months afterward and felt strange when people weren't doing the same. His mother also got frustrated with him for not looking her in the eye, a habit he had learned in Japan. Having recently returned from six months in New Zealand I haven't experienced re-entry "shock," per se, rather a series of observations about my native California that seem surprising. It felt odd to have a stranger tell me her whole life story with deep feeling and intimate details upon first greeting, which was so different from the less emotionally expressive Kiwis who value restraint. I was struck by U.S. American customer service with its rigid adherence to policies in contrast to the NZ willingness to bend the rules. You can lessen the effects of re-entry shock with cultural self-awareness, an appreciation of cultural differences, being patient, and maintaining a sense of humor. These capacities will also enhance the ways intercultural experiences can enrich you both personally and professionally. Take time to track and participate in the I-House intercultural education and training offerings - visit ihouse.berkeley.edu/training. I-House hosts monthly public meetings for The Society for Intercultural Education, Training & Research (SIETAR). Check ihouse. berkeley.edu/upcoming for dates! 4 International House Times Center for Intercultural Leadership Developing at I-House Since 2009, International House has leveraged its eight decades of building intercultural connections into a more formal curriculum, delivered in workshops and the four unit UC Berkeley course "Navigating Cultures" (see article below). In the fall of 2013, I-House is committing new resources to expand the number of people and projects related to this initiative and designating the first space within I-House to accommodate our new "Center for Intercultural Leadership." This growth reflects a consensus among the Board of Directors that this formal component of intercultural exploration has enormous potential to enrich the resident I-House experience. This work has also established new external engagement opportunities across the UC Berkeley campus and within the private sector, including trainings offered by I-House staff and commissioned by Google and Chevron. Breidi Truscott Roberts was appointed in October 2013 as Intercultural Education & Training Officer for the new center, and leverages her extensive professional education and training experience, including three years of facilitating workshops and trainings at I-House and Berkeley. Breidi has a Masters in Intercultural Relations from the School for International Training, is certified in Emotional Intelligence and Diversity instruction, the Cultural Detective methodology, is a fellow at the Institute for Intercultural Communication's summer institute (SIIC), and is a Society for Intercultural Education Training and Research Board member. Breidi will be joined by a new Director for the Center for Intercultural Leadership (CIL) in November 2013 and the team will be in a temporary office on the second floor in the House's north wing while the Board completes an assessment of office and program space between 2013 and 2014. Board member Simon Lowes reports "An appreciation for cultural diversity is a critical success factor in building effective working relationships. The intercultural business skills I-House teaches can be applied every day and are an invaluable asset to any professional." Former resident Sarah Katz, an Israeli-American who was a participant in a 2012 intercultural leadership certificate program at I-House, reports: "What I have learned will help me practice interacting with different cultures in I-House and in my planned career in International Law." Visit ihouse.berkeley.edu/training for more information and evolving client services of the CIL. n Fifth Year of I-House Guiding Students "Navigating Cultures" Cal students are gaining intercultural competency skills through a four unit UC Berkeley Course under Peace and Conflict Studies 119.3. The class, subtitled "Living and Working Around the Globe in the 21st Century," is taught by Cross-Cultural Trainer/Consultant, Joe Lurie, and Director of Programs, Dr. Liliane Koziol. The course addresses different cultures' approaches to time, emotion, power, decisionmaking, and ethics and features how differing Joe Lurie, IH E.D. Emeri- approaches to identity, language, tus & Dr. Liliane Koziol non-verbal communication, play out in different countries, as well as in business, diplomatic Dr. Koziol conducting a and health care time-perception exercise. settings. Pictured above are students lined up according to their culturally-influenced conceptions of time and verbal interaction. Consistent glowing student reviews and word-of-mouth have expanded the class from 25 students last year to 32 this year, including 8 I-House residents. n

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