Culture+shock

Culture shock

A High Fiver must remember that when dealing with an older generation they are entering another culture. These investors have high expectations for the speech and actions of the people in charge of their possible investment. Meeting these expectations will leave High Fivers somewhat uncomfortable and feeling out of place. Try to remember that this is not something that you are used to and feeling unfamiliar is normal. Going through a culture shock within your own community can be overwhelming because it is where people feel the most comfortable, but the environment around older generations is a drastic change from the one around friends or the casual work environment which High Fivers are so lucky to have.

Is, “primarily a set of emotional reactions to the loss of perceptual reinforcements from one’s own culture, to new cultural stimuli which have little or no meaning, and to the misunderstanding of new and diverse experiences’ (Bennett 1998). Just like the younger generation uses slang terms and different gestures, the older generation has their own slang terms and gestures that may or may not mean the same thing or anything for that matter.

“… a strong sense of identity can be a hindrance, especially if we are inflexible and become threatened too quickly by conflicting stimuli. Awareness of our own culture needs to be complimented by a nonjudgmental stance.” (Bennett 1998).

When entering the environment of the older generation it is important to not only be understanding of their cultural differences and expectancies, but to also be willing to let go of some of the cultural practices which a High Fiver is comfortable with. This shows the investors that High Fives can be loud and eccentric as well as being and calm and showing cultural respect for the older generation.