| Summary: | The cross-cultural adaptation process has been a focus of
theoretical and practical interest in the field of cross-cultural
counselling. Recently, interest has proceeded from
the initial adaptation phase (culture shock) experienced by
sojourners when leaving home to a focus on the reentry
adaptation phase (reentry shock), experienced by sojourners
who have returned home after extended stays abroad.
Increasing numbers of Canadian sojourners are currently
travelling in a wide variety of contexts and for a wide
variety of purposes. Interest in reentry adaptation is
fueled by a corresponding, accelerated demand for knowledge
of factors influencing reentry adjustment and for
interventions effective in reducing its' attendant stress.
To date, cross-cultural reentry research has been informed
primarily by methodologies (quantitative and anecdotal) that
give an overview of the phenomenon but do not yield in-depth,
systematic accounts of the lived experience of
returnees, resulting in a dearth of information on
interventions effective in assisting returnees with their
readjustment. The purpose of this study was to (1)
accumulate in-depth information about the reentry adjustment
process from returnees whose experience had been amplified
by a group-based reentry program, (2) analyze these data
systematically, in order to identify factors, directly or
indirectly related to the reentry program which appear to be
facilitating and/or hindering to the reentry adjustment process, and (3) develop a framework of interventions which
can be used by counsellors and others in the cross-cultural
field to assist returnees in their readjustment process.
A qualitative methodology was used in which two groups of
returnees were interviewed during the period of late 1992 to
mid 1994 after participating in 2-day, professional reentry
workshops. Participant interviews were analyzed using The
Critical Incident Technique in order to identify factors
which influence reentry adjustment. The 19 interviewees were
Canadian repatriates who had recently returned from
business-related stays of 1 to 4 years' duration in Asia.
A total of 245 critical incidents were derived from the 19
interviews. Out of these incidents, a scheme of 12
categories of factors, facilitative of reentry was
developed. In order to ensure trustworthiness and soundness
of categories, the category scheme was subjected to several
tests of reliability and validity. Also identified were 2
emergent themes, separate and unrelated to the program,
which related to occurrences of a hindering nature to
reentry adjustment.
Finally, antecedent factors related to the 245 facilitative
critical incidents were identified. These latter findings
resulted in the development of a framework of cross-cultural
reentry interventions.
Implications for theory development and future research; and
applications for counselling in the area of cross-cultural
reentry are explored. === Education, Faculty of === Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of === Graduate
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