Topics: Interesting Tech, The Networked World, Cultures, Education, Mobiles
Nipan Maniar, an academic at the University of Portsmouth and a games technology expert has devised a mobile phone game to help international students with culture shock. The "C-Shock" game is expected to be avialable for download on the University's Web site later this year.
"C-Shock"challenges the player to reduce the game's international student character's culture shock from 100 to zero. To do this, the player has to complete various tasks on the virtual campus, each task will present a scene, such as public displays of affection, that might be culturally jarring.
For foreign students coming to the UK. the sight of women smoking, drinking and being friendly with the opposite sex can be jarring. But things less obvious to Britons and Americans, like the informality of teacher-student interactions can take a while for adjustment.
Mr. Maniar, himself, knows about culture shock. He arrived in the UK from India five years ago as an international student. Now, he hopes the game will serve as an act as an “e-mother” or “mobile mummy” for new students.
See also the BBC News report on the game.
I believe this type of software will be a help for many students by giving a chance to "process" reactions to various cultural differences in a neutral setting. Much better than having an in-person awkwardness or shock trying to figure out what's going on.
There is a potential, however, for an unintended negative use of such software. Some people railing against the Western ways may use the scenes as exhibits of Western "waywardness and depravity". But, given the popular culture exports of the West, "C-Shock" would be quite tame.
J.D. Abolins