Managing Re-entry Home: Overview of the re-entry experience

In the blog last week, we initially defined the concept of reverse or re-entry shock. After this we explored several factors that can influence both potential exposure to such unwelcome surprises and the possible intensity of any encounter. This week we shall begin by focusing on a general overview of the return home experience and then review some of the commonly reported challenges by returnees commencing with the fascinating topic of reverse homesickness.

An overview of the re-entry experience

Ill-preparedness for the return experience

First, in his informative book, The Art of Coming Home, Craig Storti argues that while organisations typically engage in considerable effort and expense in support of their sojourners prior to departing for work in an unfamiliar cultural location, far less attention is focused on challenges arising on the eventual re-entry home. Consequently, he also perceptively observes that for many people the return home after an extended period overseas can sometimes be more disorientating in many ways than an initial entry into the host location. This can be particularly problematic for those with families especially if they include more adjustment sensitive members such as teenagers.

Moreover, feelings of disconnection or of being out of place in a home context are more subtle and nuanced than similar initial experiences overseas. Therefore, this makes such emotions more difficult to both articulate when seeking help or to personally manage without feeling some frustrating sense of inadequacy.

The universality of re-entry issues

Next, the universality of re-entry issues has been emphasised in several surveys evaluating return home experiences. For example, 64% of Americans reported significant reverse culture shock following repatriation, while 64% of Dutch and 80% of Japanese commented that they experienced returning home as more difficult than adjusting overseas. Finally, 50% of Swedish exchange students expressed the view that they just didn’t fit in when they returned to Sweden following their study programmes.

Finally, in her book, Homeward Bound, Robin Pascoe eloquently and amusingly describes the return experience when she comments that, ‘re-entry shock is when you feel like you are wearing contact lenses in the wrong eyes. Everything looks almost right’. Put simply, most expats appear to be unaware and temporarily disorientated by the extent to which both they and the home context have often significantly changed during their extended sojourn.

Commonly reported challenges

Based on my personal experience combined with numerous solicited research opinions from colleagues and senior international students, there appears to be 5 most frequently encountered home re-entry challenges by sojourners following extended periods living overseas.

1. Reverse homesickness

This is arguably the most common manifestation of return shock that interestingly commences in the host context as the emotional challenge of farewells is the initial phase of the return adaptation process. Naturally, the extent of this emotional experience is typically influenced by the length of the sojourn, together with the extent to which integration in the host culture was successful.

Put simply, it involves a sense of sadness and loss of all that had become memorable, enjoyable, and comfortable in the often-hard-won home from home established over time in the host nation.

2. Feeling lonely

Unexpected feelings of loneliness during the initial period of the return home are connected to the issue of reverse homesickness, especially the sudden separation from colleagues, friends, and familiar local acquaintances. Then, on re-entry, some sojourners discover that many members of their previous friendship networks have moved on requiring the returnee to begin the process of gradually building new relationships as was previously required in the host nation.

3. Experiencing boredom

Especially for sojourners who had gradually progressed to become ever more curious researchers and intrepid adventurers in their host cultural context, the environment can initially seem rather dull in comparison.

One example from my early experience was that, because of the sudden transition from the bright lights of Shanghai, Tokyo, or Istanbul to a smallish village environment in the UK, life simply lacked a sense of excitement, the fascinating aromas, and bustle of commercial street hawker activity, or the attractive nightly eye-catching flashing colours of restaurants, shops, and advertisements. Moreover, the comparative quiet and seemingly grey surroundings at home felt somewhat depressing at times and, rather comically now on reflection, I often struggled to think of something to do that would be even vaguely interesting let alone entertaining.

4. Negative observations

Another commonly reported reverse shock is that, not only are most people disinterested in the sojourn experience of others, but some are even critical of what they perceive as being negative changes in the sojourner in terms of attitudes and interpersonal behaviour. Colleagues and students report that such observations typically include negative comments about apparent arrogance, critical comparative observations of the home culture, and being increasingly opinionated. Of course, such comments often come as a complete surprise to the returnee as they are largely unaware of the significant changes in their personality incubated during the cross-cultural developmental experience.

5. Re-establishing routines

One of the primary reasons that sojourners can experience culture shock in both the host and return experience is due to having failed for some reason to establish comfortable routines in a work or study context, in daily local community interactions, and in their private social relationships. Consequently, on arrival back home, one of the most urgent objectives for the returnee to avoid possible reverse shock is to re-establish an appropriate range of these routines again that are major positive influence on an eventual re-integration in the home context. This includes the task of establishing some familiar and comfortable presence in the immediate local community.

To conclude, next week, we shall examine the key phases of the re-entry process into the home context that curiously begins in the host nation.

References

• Pascoe, R. (2000). Homeward bound: A spouse's guide to repatriation. Rrlj Investments Ltd.

• Storti, C. (2022). The art of coming home (2nd ed.). Nicholas Brealey.