When relocating to the other side of the world, we are more likely to accept that we will have to go through a big adjustment. But even cultures that are much closer to home will surprise us.
Far-flung countries
It’s natural for us to be more open-minded about cultures that we know nothing about. Someone from a Nordic nation relocating to Brazil, or someone from China relocating to Spain expects everything to be different – they’re mentally braced for change and prepared to learn. By contrast, when we relocate to a country that neighbours our own, we might believe that we’re so familiar with the local culture that there’s little point to intercultural training.
Surprises down the road
“In our head, we might think we know this other country – one that’s just a border crossing away. We have been there as a visitor. We have interacted with people from there in our home nation. This false sense of familiarity can definitely result in some surprises,” says Global Connection consultant Josien Berkenvelder. “Even when moving to the US, a European or a South American might believe they know American culture quite well from watching TV shows and films. But then they discover life there isn’t like an episode of Friends!”
Diverse expat experiences
Josien is also an expat partner, one who has relocated to South America and other parts of Western Europe: “When my family moved to Uruguay, we ended up being more pleasantly surprised by what was similar to our own culture. My family also benefited from a large and inclusive expat community. When a European moves to another European country, it’s quite different. It can be harder to befriend locals. It feels like you’re expected to ‘slot in’ seamlessly but you don’t yet speak the language or fully understand the culture.”
Jobseekers in a new culture
Should you also plan to find paid employment in your host country, Josien believes intercultural training can be of great value (no matter how familiar you are with the local culture): “There’s a cultural element to every step of the job search – how to write your CV / motivation letter, how to conduct yourself in an interview, etc. But before you start a job, you will benefit from knowing, for example, how meetings are conducted, or how decisions are made. So intercultural training can make you stand out as a candidate and also as an employee working in a new cultural environment.”
Photo: Josien Berkenvelder and family, who moved from South America to Germany
