Managing Culture Shock and Conflict: Creative Strategies of African Immigrants in the City of Philadelphia

By Kalu Oji

The study investigated the impact of culture shock and conflict on immigrant families of African descent in the United States. The participants in the project consisted of 10 members of the target population and the researcher. The racial composition of the target population was 100 % people of African descent. The gender breakdown of the target population was 90 % males and 10 % females. The methods utilized consisted of depth interviewing and auto-ethnography. The in-depth interview consisted of 10 interviews administered to members of the target population. The auto-ethnography was administered using the personal experience of the researcher. The results indicated that culture shock and conflict was a problem encountered by immigrant families of African descent when they come into the United States. The conclusions drawn verified the problem statement: There has been an increase in culture shock and conflict encountered by immigrant families of African descent when they come into the United States. The research inferred that a change project (setting up an organization) is warranted to address the problem of culture shock and conflict encountered by immigrant families of African descent in the city of Philadelphia.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 5, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493180097

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Copyright © 2014 by Kalu Oji.

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Rev. date: 02/28/2014

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Endorsement

Chapter One: Introduction

Statement of the Problem

Purpose of the Study

Background and History

Description of the Community and Agency Context

Summary

Chapter Two: Review of the Literature

Literature on the Problem

Literature on Solutions

Summary and Conclusions

Chapter Three: Methodology

Problem Statement

Research Questions

Data Collection Methods

Method 1 Recruitment and Selection of Participants

Data Analysis

Findings

Table 1. Matrix of Major Themes on Scope, Causes,

and Solutions for Managing Culture Shock and Conflict

My lived experience as an African immigrant in the City of Philadelphia:

An auto-ethnography.

Becoming an immigrant

My career

The possible future

Chapter Four: Results

Discussion and Recommendations

The Scope of the Problem

Causal Factors

Solutions

Conclusions

References

DEDICATION

T o Chi, my heart, who stood by me crying out consistently to the LORD our God as I labored through this academic expedition. I also dedicate this work to Royale, Rhema, Blossom and Peculiar, our children who are our heritage from the LORD.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

T his scholarship journey would not have been possible without JEHOVAH EL-SHADAI ( my God), my LORD Jesus Christ, as well as my LORD Holy Spirit who together made this a reality. It is very important to acknowledge that without the assistance of so many people; all these would have remained a fantasy. I use this opportunity to give a big thanks to all the members of Holy Ghost House Church for their patience, love, and assistance as they supported me in prayers through this academic journey. To the members of my Weekly Bible Study group at the Department of Human Services, Philadelphia, I say thanks for all your prayers and support. To Bartee Togba, Saykou Kromah, and Ali Bashir, I give you thanks for all your assistance. Thanks a lot to Aubrey Powers and Maury Wright of the Department of Human Services Philadelphia who constantly expressed their confidence in me when I did not feel like continuing. Dr. Frank Worts, Dr. Malcolm Bonner, as well as Dr. Feldman of Lincoln University, I salute you all. I will not forget Osita Ogbunamiri, Esq. (Pastor, Holy Ghost House Church, Philadelphia) and Pastor Ben Akalonu (Victorious Faith Church Owerri, Nigeria). There is no way this acknowledgement will be complete without mentioning and giving thanks to Dr. Szabi Ishtai-Zee (Mentor and Committee Chair at Fielding Graduate University), Dr. Lee Mahon (Faculty Reader), Dr. Lenneal Henderson (Research Faculty), Dr. Catherine Hence (External Examiner), the late Dr. Norman Harris, Dr. Solomon Caudle (Student Reader), and Dr. Dexter Juan Davis (Fielding and Lincoln Graduate University Alumnus). To all those who directly and indirectly assisted in making this journey a success, I say God bless you all and thanks for everything.

ENDORSEMENT

E xtremely well researched and defined is this exhaustive dissertation on Managing Culture Shock and Conflict by Dr. Kalu K. Oji. Through careful examination, interviews and research study, all led by the Spirit of God, Dr. Oji has managed to address many areas of concern for Africans who have migrated to the United States. Careful investigation coupled with personal experience, has enabled Dr. Kalu to pinpoint, problem, cause and solution or resolution in many instances.

This book is a must read seeing as we all know someone who has migrated to another geographical area, and this dissertation will aid in bringing awareness along with understanding to a global issue that is generally ignored and in some cases it is even abhorred. As you embark on a most interesting journey through these pages you will find information that will expand your mind and understanding, enabling you to become an intricate part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Be enlightened and gain power to effect change.

Johnette M. Moore

Outpourings Ministry

Bermuda

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

In all cultures, individuals, and groups move to various regions,

places, cities, and countries for opportunities associated with

economics, politics, and socialization. Most who have immigrated

to the United States and who have also migrated within the United

States have done so seeking better economic, political, and social

opportunities. (Banks, 2006, p. 65)

T he quotation above is what can be called a universal generalization in that immigration-migration is a part of human behavior in all cultures, times, and places without reference to any culture or group. It is a universal-type statement, which is capable of empirical verification (Lopez, 2003). What is not addressed universally is the creative strategies African immigrants in the city of Philadelphia use in managing culture shock and conflict when they come into the United States.

Statement of the Problem

The United States has frequently been named the melting pot, a name derived from the country’s practice of immigrants entering the United States in search of a better way of life and experiencing the incorporation as well as an addition of their cultures into the structure, cultural orientations, and capacities of the nation. The city of Philadelphia has its own share of immigrants from all over the world. These immigrants come with preconceived notions and mindsets only to experience a different way of life often leading to culture shock. This tends to create stress, dislocation, and disappointment among many immigrants.

In the Philadelphia public school system as well as the child welfare system, a serious problem exists which involves immigrant families and students. A majority of these families and students are verbally tormented and condemned as a result of their cultural differences. Though schools offer counseling services to assist immigrant students, it is apparent that these newly migrated students have not acquired an understanding of how to resolve culture shock.

Secondly, because there are very few community-based agencies set up primarily to assist immigrant families from Africa to become acclimatized to their new environment, these families end up going through a number of difficulties while trying to settle into their new environment. As a result, many of them become overwhelmed by the pressure of not belonging to the socially acceptable group, which eventually leads them into developing rebellious personalities. Such a persona takes a toll not only on the heads of these households, but also on the students’ performance academically, culturally, and socially.

Purpose of the Study

The proposed study intends not only to address but also to provide an awareness and deep understanding to African immigrants experiencing culture shock and conflict, as well as those already experiencing culture shock and conflict as to the immediate and long-term impact that culture shock and conflict brings to a community. The significance of this is that the family as the foundation of human existence must be preserved in order to improve the quality of life for a community and conflict is the agent that causes this quality of life to disappear. I also want to know what immigrants do about this conflict and culture shock and what we and they can learn from their strategies and efforts to cope. What follows below is the background and history of this study.

Background and History

A basic reality of some populations is their movement from one location to another and from one nation to another in search of personal, occupational, educational or security opportunities. This tendency to migrate was documented and affirmed internationally over 50 years ago with the acceptance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (International Migration Report, 2002); see also the work of the International Labor Organization, another United Nations organization focused on labor and migration issues. This report stated in Article 13 that everybody has the entitlement to freedom of movement and dwelling within the boundaries of each country and everybody has the entitlement to depart from any country, counting theirs, and to return to theirs (p. xi).

American society possessed and still possesses an assortment of groups