Ameliorating culture shock in Japanese expatriate children in the US

Abstract

This study identifies the variables that may predict the level of culture shock, grades in school, and anxiety level over returning to Japan among 240 Japanese expatriate students living in southern California. The students attended an American school on the weekdays, and a Japanese supplementary school on Saturdays. The study showed that the most effective predictors for the mitigation of culture shock, higher grades in American school, higher grades in Japanese school and anxiety over returning to Japan were, respectively, the perceived favorableness of the relationship with American teachers and friends, high self-rating of their English language proficiency, perceived favorable relationship with their Japanese teacher, and a favorable perception of their father's English language proficiency. These findings may be useful to parents, and to Japanese and American teachers, in assisting students to make a less-stressful transition between home and host cultures. Also, this study indicates the possibility of a new phase in the study of culture shock which focuses on the role of family members and others routinely encountered outside the home in the reduction of culture shock.