Reentry

The basic definition of reentry is the process or act of returning to one’s native (passport) country after living, studying, or working internationally. Reverse culture shock is a related concept used to describe the responses, which are frequently negative, that tend to arise during the initial period of adjustment to being back home after a significant international or intercultural experience. This entry will examine the now well-recognized experience of reentry through the lens of reentry theory. In contrasting and comparing culture shock with reverse culture shock, the history of the concept is discussed, along with reentry shock triggers and effective responses.

Although it is clear that human beings have been leaving and subsequently returning home for many millennia, few researchers paid much attention to the process ...