Chapter 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chapter 9 - Essay Example Though in these cases the stages of acculturation might not be so visible, they still exist – a sojourner feels excitement about coming to a new area, then a crisis due to the differences one has to get used to, and, finally, readjustment to normal life in case he or she either stays or returns back (general model of acculturation). Another thing I particularly liked is that the chapter also teaches us on how to behave after we return from another culture. My attention was drawn to this part because, from my experience, when talking about the difficulties of acculturation, the problems a person faces in a foreign culture are discussed, while not so much is usually said about the after-return challenges. At the same time, it seems rather important to know what to do and how to behave upon the return to the changed with time native culture. The chapter also presents a hierarchy of needs developed by Maslow. Though it is not the first time I meet Maslow’s pyramid of needs, what I liked about this text is that it clearly explains how to apply Maslow’s theory to real situations of acculturating – appeal to higher needs, such as usefulness or self-esteem, does not work up until the lower needs, such as security of friendship, are met. The author also describes four models of acculturation: general model, the hero’s journey, the surprise and sense-making model, and the comprehensive model of stress, adaptation and growth. I believe it is very useful to know all the four approaches to acculturation, because the more sides and peculiarities of the problem we are aware of, the easier for us it will be to deal with acculturation when such a need arises. While each separate model may be self-sufficing, all of them together show a wider and deeper picture of what happens to an individual in a new culture, how one should deal with the challenges, and what reactions various problems may