Forestry training manual for the Africa region: Session 53 : Culture shock

Forestry training manual for the Africa region

		Acknowledgements
		Trainee guidelines
		Training program overview
		Conducting the training program
		Presenting the sessions
		Words about transition
		Session 1 : Welcome, expectations, and evaluation criteria
		Session 2 : Special projects
		Session 3 : The forests of the world, peace corps' forestry goals, the individual volunteer's role
		Session 4 : Record keeping - group process
		Session 5 : Video tapes
		Session 6 : Agro-forestry data collection
		Session 7 : Feedback
		Session 8 : Flowers, seeds, the beginning
		Session 9 : Nutrition
		Session 10 : Non-verbal communication
		Session 11 : Germination
		Session 12 : Coping skills
		Session 13 : Basic site selection, planning & layout of a nursery
		Session 14 : Review of trainees' nursery plan
		Session 15 communication through illustration
		Session 16 : Soil preparation, seedbed sowing
		Session 17 : Individual interviews
		Session 18 : Reproduction by clippings and nursery review
		Session 19 : Introduction to extension
		Session 20 : Protection and record keeping (Insect collection)
		Session 20A : Chicken preparation
		Session 21 : The volunteers' role as an extensionist
		Session 22 : Tropical horticulture: care, tending and disease control
		Session 23 : Women in development - part I
		Session 24 : Team building
		Session 25 : Building and using a rustic transit
		Session 26 : Women in development - part II
		Session 27 : Working with groups as an extension worker
		Session 28 : Trees: identification & planting
		Session 29 : Lesson plan and use of visual aids in teaching
		Session 30 : The ugly American
		Session 31 : Catchments - sowing of seedlings into catchments
		Session 32 : Weekly interview
		Session 33 : Agro-forestry
		Session 34 : Community analysis introduction
		Session 35 : Soils
		Session 36 : Community analysis
		Session 37 : Irrigation
		Session 38 : Review of expectations - mid-way
		Session 39 : Problem analysis
		Session 40 : Soil erosion
		Session 41 : Species report - research demonstration
		Session 42 : Cultural values
		Session 43 : Wellbeing
		Session 44 : Field trip overview
		Session 45 : Agro-forestry reports
		Session 46 : Weekly interview
		Session 47 : Leave on week-long field trip
		Session 48 : Pesticides
		Session 49 : Review of field trips
		Session 50 : Resources
		Session 51 : Area measurement, pacing, compass use
		Session 52 : Compost heap - greenhouse construction - germination percentage
		Session 53 : Culture shock
		Session 54 : Range management
		Session 55 : Grafting and fruit trees
		Session 56 : Professional approaches to interaction with host country officials
		Session 57 : Project planning: goal setting
		Session 58 : Final interviews
		Session 59 : Ecology teams presentations
		Session 60 : Graduation

Session 53 : Culture shock

Total time 2 hours

Goals

- To help prepare the trainees for the usually difficult adjustment to another culture.

Overview

In the process of getting the trainees ready for volunteer service and with the realization that many of the participants will in a few weeks be alone for the first time in their project sites, we once again review the process of culture shock.

Exercise

1. Culture Shock - Are We Ready for It?

Materials

"The Culture Shock Process" flow chart.

Exercise 1 Culture Shock - Are We Read For It?

Total time 2 hours

Procedure

Activities

1. The trainer gives a brief introduction and reviews the goals. He/she reminds the trainees that this subject has been covered before but now they are almost ready to go to their sites for two years of volunteer service. We should then review the following stages.

Time

10 minutes

Activities

2. The trainer, using the following diagram posted on newsprint, asks the trainees to break into groups of five or six and discuss each stage. They should discuss the followings

Time

10 minutes

Activities

A. Ways to cope with the problems in stage two,

Time

10 minutes

Activities

B. Feelings that will be generated during stage three,

Time

10 minutes

Activities

C. The inevitable reactions in stage four.

Time

10 minutes

Activities

3. The trainer distributes to the group the fears and hopes form, and they make a list of fears and hopes.

Time

20 minutes

Activities

4. The trainer distributes a "check list" for fears and hopes. The trainees discuss their lists using the check list.

Time

20 minutes

Activities

5. Each group is asked to prepare a statement to give to the large group. This presentation should include highlights of the small group discussion and points they would like to stress.

Time

5 minutes/group

Activities

6. The trainer summarizes the exercise. He/she picks up points that have been raised during the presentation

and may add some of his/her own experiences which are appropriate to alleviate fears that have been raised.

Time

15 minutes

Figure 53 : The culture shock process

CHECK LIST FOR FEARS AND HOPES

1. Are the fears and hopes realistic or not? (Let's find out through concrete examples.)

2. What are the cultural dimensions of each fear and hope? (From where are those fears and hopes coming?)

3. What can be done to overcome the fears if necessary and build upon the hopes?

a. The anticipated negative responses from others: are they real or imaginary?

b. The obstacles which prevent the implementation of what people wish to do but do not do.

c. The required modifications for making the ideas acceptable?

FEARS	HOPES
1. To fail	1. To learn something
2. To be misunderstood	2. To grow from the experience
3. To hurt people	3. To adjust
4. To lose face	4. To help others
5. To be rejected	5. To be successful
Others	Others