Perceived Causes of Culture Shock: A Study on International Students in North Cyprus

Culture shock is an important issue and is the result of movement of individuals from one place to another. The differences between the old environment and the new environment are the major causes of culture shock. The individuals may feel insecurity, disorientation, anxiety and so forth as a result of culture shock. The goal of this research study is to analyze the causes of culture shock and how international students at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) perceive them. In this study, factors were identified and questionnaires were distributed to three-hundred fifty international students in order to measure how culture shock elements vary based on gender, country of origin, educational level, age, length of stay and monthly income. Major causes of culture shock were infrastructure, service quality, weather, and language. Also, the results of this research showed there are significant differences between international students‟ demographic characteristics and culture shock causes. The results of this thesis imply that almost all international students should expect to experience culture shock because they may find the new environment challenging to adjust to. As a result, we suggested that international students should collect enough information about the host culture, education system etc. and try to build relationships with locals in order to understand their society. Keywords: International students, culture shock, culture shock elements, Eastern Mediterranean University, North Cyprus.