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A Handbook on Culture Shock: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Experience Between Nigeria (Ejaghem/Etung) and Upstate New York (Adirondacks)

by Rev. Victor A. Owan

490 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #05-1296; ISBN 1-4120-6385-x; US$29.55, C$33.98, EUR24.27, £16.99

A Handbook on Culture Shock is a revealing, informative, provocative, humorous, encouraging, challenging and groundbreaking comparative experience of the Nigerian and Upstate New York cultures. It is a MUST read!

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About the Book      About the Author      Excerpts      Catalogue Information

About the Book

When things are important you put them in writing to document the experience and remind you of your challenges, benefits, and responsibilities. Besides, I believe that it is our responsibility to make sure that we preserve and document our history to inform, educate, encourage, and empower future generations.

A Handbook on Culture Shock is a reflective experience and a realistic icebreaker that carefully melts, humorously narrates, and critically compares two so-different cultures: Nigeria (Ejaghem/Etung) and Upstate New York (Adirondacks) cultures. The Etung people are agrarian and lie within the tropical rainforest zone of West Africa, situated on the North West part of Cross River State of Nigeria. The Adirondacks people are suburbanized Americans in Upstate New York.

Mostly from the standpoint of a Catholic priest from Nigeria, as a missionary, in my systematic reflection, I attempt to share my cultural immersion experience of both my native and my newfound cultures. This is done in a way that is informative, revealing, attractive, and encouraging. This is done in a way that is informative, revealing, attractive and encouraging. This book does not attempt the traditional textbook treatment of cross-cultural analysis. Yet, in many respects, it goes beyond an ordinary scholastic endeavor and an academic approach. My intention here is not to make an all-embracing comparison study of the two cultures in question, in such areas as the historical background, family structures, and the likes. I present here only those parts of the two cultures with which I have had personal contacts and which have presented the greatest challenges - shocks, conflicts, confusions, awareness, excitements, you name it, for documentary benefits, especially to newcomers to the American culture and for the information of the people of the host culture.

I attempt to present a balanced view of both cultures in a style that combines vivid and experiential expositions, detailed and humorous explanations, and encouraging tips in a disposition and an atmosphere that is culture friendly. This style can be seen in the various cultural phenomena such as communication, cooking, food, and eating, the institution of marriage, death, and funerals. In addition, my style extends to such cultural areas as etiquette and courtesy, economy, transportation, and means of transport, public utilities, the seasons, and related developments, equality, sanitation and recreational engagements, combined with a narrative illustration of my cross-cultural workshop experience.

By the end of the book, the reflection praises and exults all cultures of the world given their particular historical contexts. There is also a clarion call to cultural patriotism and appreciation, intertwined with the challenge to malleability toward the adaptation and acceptance of cultural pluralism and depolarization by all. Finally, it unequivocally points out the realistic and existential inevitability of culture shock for all those who seek to cross culture bounds irrespective of mission or reason.

In spite of the existential and practical topics this book treats, it is not a travelogue, not a diary, and not a “how-to” book on successful acculturation. Its intent is simply to shed the light of cultural knowledge both to the people of the host culture and especially to arm or forewarn the newcomer with the necessary awareness as he or she ventures into another culture - the American culture. Its ultimate wish is that amidst cultural differences and the inevitability of culture shock, through better understanding of each other, the people of the world, (not just the Etung and the Adirondacks), might achieve greater acceptance, accommodation, tolerance, and indeed love. My conviction is that, in an atmosphere that is culture friendly, the people of our multi-faceted cultural world would arrive in the inevitable conclusion that at the most basic and fundamental level we are all very much alike.

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About the Author

Victor Achima Owan, a native of Agbokim Water Falls in Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria, is a Catholic priest of Ogoja Diocese. He was ordained a priest on October 13, 1996. He holds a Bachelors degree in both Philosophy and Theology from St. Joseph Major Seminary, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, an affiliate of Pontifical Urban University, Rome.

At the time he wrote the book, he was the Associate Pastor of St. Mary's/St.Paul's Church, Hudson Falls, Albany Diocese, New York. And presently at the time of the first revision of the book, he is the Associate Pastor of St. Mary's Church, Oneonta, Albany Diocese, New York.

His hobbies are making friends, traveling, reading, reflecting and writing. In terms of sports, he is a soccer fan, which he played formany years. He also loves court tennis and tries it out himself whenever his schedule allows him to.

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Excerpts

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Catalogue Information

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