Copyright by Tatiana Borisovna Segura 2008 - The University of ...

(33) Furnham and Bochner find the distance between the native culture and the target
culture to be the major determinant of the force of culture shock, and therefore, the major
determinant in the process of acculturation (20).
In connection with the differences between the native and the target cultures,
Grunzweig and Rinehart argue that the process of world globalization made the
international educational exchange system face a serious crisis (5). The very foundation
on which international educational exchange was built, the distance between the cultures
and the necessity to bridge them, is disappearing rapidly. The implied assumption behind
globalization is that a new, relatively homogenous, global culture is emerging. This
assumption, however, should be treated with caution. Implicit in this assumption is an
equation of a culture and consumption: same products are available to people all over the
world. In reality, culture is a much broader notion: it includes not only products but also
practices and perspectives, i.e., behaviors and beliefs. In other words, globalization
reduces only the superficial differences between the native and the target cultures.
Pre-departure orientation
According to Ward, Bochner and Furnham, most people who cross cultures would
benefit from a systematic preparation and training to assist them with the process of
acculturation (248). Yet the majority of study abroad students receive a limited pre-
departure preparation which, in most cases, is insufficient to make their cross-cultural
adaptation more informed and less stressful. The strategies and approaches that are used
during the pre-departure orientations to prepare study abroad students for a smoother
acculturation may vary to a large extent, depending on how much time is available and
how experienced and well-trained the individuals providing the information are.
However, the majority of the pre-departure preparation sessions concentrate on providing
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