Reverse Culture Shock After Travel

Fascinating subject!

Not really reverse culture shock because I haven't ever been gone long enough to forget what my home country (USA) is like. But I do absolutely notice these striking culture differences when I do travel. I'm afraid that a frank discussion of these differences gets the thread locked, but yeah... I absolutely notice general incivility and self-centeredness at home.

There's no reason for anyone to lock this thread. Travel can be the immersion into another society and there's nothing wrong in examining the subsequent "attitude adjustment" it can bring.

I hope this doesn't come off as too pedantic, but I remember that the anthropologist Margaret Mead saying the term culture shock, at least she used it, was the shock of realizing, through contact with other societies, that aspects of your own culture are not univesral and not superior. What you describe, sounds like a good illustration of culture shock and not actually "reverse," if that makes sense. And yes, whenever I return from even a short trip to another country, there are often little things that I suddenly notice more back home; some of them relate to the civility issue you describe.

Unfortunately, I hit the paywall on the Atlantic article. Maybe I can find the September 2023 edition at the library.

An interesting topic. As European I start with just reading. Hopefully this thread will not go into politics.

Unfortunately, I hit the paywall on the Atlantic article. Maybe I can find the September 2023 edition at the library.

Load the page into the paywall then disable Javascript on your browser and reload.

I spent seven months in Europe, from July 2018 to January 2019. When I came home, one of the first things I noticed was the terrible condition of the roads here. I have seen little improvement since the pandemic-era infrastructure bill. OTOH, that money has doubled the Amtrak service in my area (from two trains with frequent bus replacement service per day in each direction to two trains and two buses per day in each direction) and lowered fares (including free tickets for 18 and under).

I agree: I went from a Swiss train (then a flight) and then to a subway in a major American city. It was astounding to me how terrible public transportation was in contrast.

I wonder if Americans ever return to the United States and have a positive “reverse culture shock”?

I know when I return to Sweden after a few months out I also notice how good the roads are and how courteous the drivers are.

Similarly, when I return to Spain, I think "damn we have good food here" haha, and appreciate more the cafe/paseo/tapas culture

Your points are well taken, I agree with them , and there is much validity to what you say. I have my own views on this salient topic sociologically, politically, culturally. Upon return I feel likewise. No doubt "they" have their problems, however one chooses to label and define them. My view is that ours "Back in the USA" , as Chuck Berry's title says , are more acute

In Europe I don't intentionally avoid politics and society as topics of conversation in talking with locals, the "Europeans" and I can recall exactly who these individuals were in the course of the trips, ie, Belgian, Germans, French, Czech, Swedish, Dutch, Polish, Bulgarian, Austrian, English,

True, one does see the obvious civility in the smaller towns and villages "deep in the heart " of France. In 2024 and '25 trips, 24 summer weeks total , I made it point to get into rural areas of France tracking down historical sites, Grenoble, plus those in the Aube River towns, Bar-sur-Aube, those towards Lille, eg, Lambersart, Douai, Troyes, those in Lorraine besides Verdun and Metz, Epinal, Toul, Luneville,

One thing was a constant in these areas of France way from an urban center, as you are speaking French, rudimentary as it is, the locals do not switch over to English, they let you continue struggling in the language....bravo. If switching over was needed, I was always the first to start that, even then the reply still could be in French, as I experienced in Albert/Somme with a taxi driver.