What term describes the experience migrants may have when the values and beliefs of a new culture are radically different?

• A. Culture shock
• B. Ethnocentrism
• C. Culture
• D. Bias

Answer: (A)

Culture shock describes the experience when a person encounters values and beliefs in a new culture that are very different from their own, causing feelings of confusion, discomfort, or disorientation as they try to understand unfamiliar social norms, language, and routines. This reaction is common for migrants adjusting to a new environment. The idea here is about the emotional and cognitive adjustment to radical cultural differences, not about judging others or defining culture itself. Ethnocentrism involves evaluating another culture by one’s own standards and often believing one’s culture is superior. Culture refers to the overall system of shared beliefs and practices, while bias is a tendency to form opinions in advance. So, culture shock best captures the migrant’s firsthand experience of such drastic cultural difference.