Living abroad: building a life here · worksheet 51
Living abroad means juggling two cultures. You can keep things from there, adopt things from here, mix them. There is no recipe: look at how you do it, area by area.
Before you start
- What it is for: To see how you combine your culture of origin and the one here, and to choose consciously what you keep, adopt or adapt.
- About 15 minutes.
- Living between two cultures doesn’t force you to choose one: many people combine, area by area, things from there and from here.
- There is no “right” balance: only the one that feels right for you.
Prefer paper? Download the PDF to print (with a page for psychologists).
What to do with your results
The areas with a low rating are those in which you feel torn. There is no universally right balance: the right one is the one you choose.
If you find it hard
If you experience discrimination or strong family pressure, it is not just a matter of personal choice: talk about it, that is legitimate.
For psychologists
The PDF also includes a page for the psychologist: how to run the exercise in session, points to watch and scientific references. You are free to use it with your clients.
For psychologists: aim, audience and duration
Help the person observe how they combine their culture of origin and that of the host country across the areas of their life, and choose consciously what they keep, adopt or adapt.
Expatriates, migrants, second generations, intercultural couples, parents raising children in another culture. Duration: 20 min in session.
References
Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 46(1), 5-34.
Ward, C., Bochner, S. & Furnham, A. (2001). The Psychology of Culture Shock (2nd ed.). Routledge.
These worksheets do not replace therapy. If you are in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call your local emergency number (112 in Europe; 3114 in France, free, 24/7).
Free worksheet for non-commercial use: you may share it with credit to the author, without modifying it (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence).
