Cultural change

Cultural change is a concept that denotes some internal and external factors leading to change in the cultural pattern of societies,may come from many sources but most of them comes through contact with other culture, inventions and internal adjustment of culture.There are many factors of cultural change such as contact between two cities, technology evolution, and geographical and ecological factor is a natural or a physical factor that decides the culture and lifestyle of the people. David Dressier and Donald Carns have made the following observations with regard to the causes of cultural changes such as a situation they adopt some of the new customs, reject others, and follow modified versions of still others.Cultural change leads to chain reaction, whenever a change is incorporated into the culture and becomes defined as a ‘social necessity’, new needs emerge, generating the desire for still further changes to complement or supplement the original change.

Preparing for a new culture

Moving to a new country or place will be an exciting and sometimes trying, especially when you going to study abroad. There are many things to understand, one of the first things to remember about moving to a new country is that identical behaviors can have different meanings in different cultures.
The best way to prepare yourself for a foreign culture is to learn as much as you can about the culture    such as reading books before you go, find your new friends, and don't forget to learn new language. If you are living with host family you should relax, talk with them, and help out with daily household tasks.  And of course, having a positive and open attitude can be key to coping with difficult or simply different situations.

Culture shock

Culture shock is when suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture or way of life. When you move to a new country, everything is unfamiliar; weather, landscape, language, food, dress, social roles, values, customs and communication - basically, everything you're used to is no longer in place. These make you cry and homesickness because you can't do anything,little things would make you burst into tears.However, it is just a moment then you"ll realize that you need to remove yourself from the old and embrace the new. 

How culture influences health beliefs?

All cultures have systems of health beliefs to explain what causes illness, how it can be cured or treated, and who should be involved in the process such as the difference between Asians/Pacific Islanders and Chinese. Asians/Pacific Islanders families maintaining harmony is an important value;therefore, there is a strong emphasis on avoiding conflict and direct confrontation. Among Chinese patients, because the behavior of the individual reflects on the family, mental illness or any behavior that indicates lack of self-control may produce shame and guilt.The extent to which patients perceive patient education as having cultural relevance for them can have a profound effect on their reception to information provided and their willingness to use it.Cultural differences affect patients’ attitudes about medical care and their ability to understand, manage, and cope with the course of an illness, the meaning of a diagnosis, and the consequences of medical treatment.

Cutural Awareness

Cultural Awareness is the foundation of communication and it involves the ability of standing back from ourselves and becoming aware of our cultural values, beliefs and perceptions.Its become central when we have to interact with people from other cultures. People see, interpret and evaluate things in a different ways.There are many  ways that reflect how people grow to perceive the difference between culture and the best is everybody see the same way and have creation of a culture of shared meaning. But other ways,cultural diversity could be a source of problems. It makes confusion and agreement difficult to reach. The best way depends on the cultural contingency. Each situation is different and may require a different solution.

  

What is Culture?

Culture is the way that human beings learn to live with one another and their environment.Culture also are characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. Many countries are largely populated by immigrants, and the culture is influenced by the many groups of people that now make up the country.This is also a part of growth,so does its cultural diversity. No matter what culture a people are a part of, one thing is for certain, it will change over the time.