Culture Shock Culture shock is an occupational disease(职业病) for people who have been suddenly abroad.Like most disease,it has its own symptoms. Culture shock is caused by the anxiety that results from losing all familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse(交往).Those signs are as follows:when to shake hands and what to say when people meet,when and how to give tips,how to make purchases,when to accept and refuse invitations,when to take statements seriously and when not.These signs,which may be words,gestures,facial expressions,or customs,are acquired by all of us in the course of growing up and as much a part of our culture as the language we speak or the beliefs we accept.All of us depend on hundreds of these signs for our peace of mind and day-to-day efficiency,but we do not carry most at the level of conscious awareness.