In today’s episode, Mike is joined again by Joel and Kate Damon, along with Dr. Stephen W. Jones, to continue unpacking the question: what is culture? Building off their previous conversation, the group explores the realities of moving between cultures and why such transitions are often deeply disorienting. Stephen walks through concepts four and five from his book, The Cross-Cultural Transition Handbook, highlighting how culture shock creeps in through countless small moments and why disorientation is both inevitable and, to some degree, predictable.
The conversation dives into personal stories of cross-cultural confusion, from picking the wrong cookies at a Berlin grocery store to adjusting to surprising wedding customs in Minnesota. The panel discusses the difference between traveling and truly living cross-culturally, the temptation to impose your own “normal” on new environments, and the comfort of accepting that mistakes and misunderstandings are a natural part of adapting. They also touch on the ways self-worth and feedback are handled differently in American and German cultures, and how anticipating culture shock—rather than denying it—can ease the process of growing into a new home.
Resources from this episode:
Videos and other traXcultures resources.
Follow Joel and Kate on Instagram: @joelandkateinberlin
Use this link to purchase the Cross-Cultural Transitions Handbook
Contact Envision Berlin about customizing the Cross-Cultural Transitions Handbook for your cross-cultural ministry organization.
Regular Theme music by Mike Picconatto
traxcultures is recorded and produced by Envision Berlin
To join our Patreon, click here.
Transcripts are available for free on Patreon.
Join the conversation on Discord.
Originally Recorded: October 13, 2021 Notes In this episode, host Mike Picconatto is joined by guests Jennie Jones and Stephen W. Jones as they...
Originally Recorded: December 22, 2021 Notes In this special Holiday Edition, Stephen and Jennie Jones, new staff at Envision Berlin, join Mike to revisit...
Originally Recorded:06/30/2021 Brief Description: Welcome back to traxcultures, the podcast where we explore the experiences and challenges of transitioning across cultures. In today's episode,...