Managing Life Overseas: An overview of the initial planning challenges

In the blog last week, we completed a brief examination of key cross-cultural models that included an investigation of how contrasting behavioural expectations and values that distinguish global societies evolved over time. This week we begin a new series exploring how to manage living successfully overseas in a new cultural context.

Consequently, we shall periodically consider the application of some of the insights gained during the previous series such as understanding the critical importance of the cultural contrasts between our domestic and the planned new host location. Then, much of what follows is based on my personal experience of living for extended periods in several cultural contexts as a university educator combined with insightful comments by colleagues and postgraduate international students.

Introduction to some of the early planning issues

Understanding the purpose and avoiding the tourist trap

Living overseas for an extended period is typically regarded as one of the most interesting and effective personal development opportunities. However, any attempt to ensure a positive experience initially requires all manner of careful preparation and planning. Perhaps, one of the most critical early considerations is to be clear from the outset that working or studying overseas has no relationship whatsoever with short stay experiences such as attending conferences, tourism, or backpacking.

Indeed, in stark contrast, the first action required to successfully commence the process of living overseas is to establish yourself at some location and make it your new home in the host country cultural context. Of course, at some point in the future there will be opportunities to visit a selection of interesting places and events, but these activities combined with shopping and restaurants are not priority concerns in the early stages. Therefore, in this series we will explore such interesting challenges as how to gradually become a comfortable functioning local in the new cultural context.

Researching the cross-cultural journey

Another early step is to try to identify as much as possible about the cultural journey we are about to undertake between our domestic and the new host cultural context. Note here that one thing we can never avoid taking with us is our deeply embedded pattern of behavioural expectations and cultural values. However, if we wish to at least minimise future potential cross-cultural shocks or even outright clashes, we need to work on developing an understanding of the ways in which these two cultural contexts differ, especially in everyday interpersonal encounters.

Becoming familiar with the typical experiential process

How we react or respond to life overseas will also depend on several factors that includes our complex pattern of personality traits. However, as a starting point in this series, we will initially begin by looking at what has been called the U curve developmental experience of living in a new cultural context as illustrated below. This will include short case study examples that are both rather surprising, otherwise relatively minor issues, but consistently comical, especially on later reflection. Put simply, regardless of our past experiences of living overseas, we must always remain on alert and highly flexible to the unknown unknows that creep up and surprise us.

A typical experiential progression when living overseas

In conclusion, this series is best perceived as critical exploration of how to best approach an effective preparation and subsequent management of living successfully overseas given the inevitable ups and downs that are still part of everyday experience regardless of our cultural context.

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Question 1

How might a short initial period at a hotel disrupt the early experience of living overseas?

Question 2

Are there specific emotional challenges when planning to live overseas for extended period?

Question 3

What is the importance of researching both the domestic and future host cultural dimensions?

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We shall explore Question 3 in the next blog.