Cultural competence/Sociocultural Adaptation Scale

The Sociocultural Adaptation Scale was developed by Ward and Kennedy (1999)

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1 Making friends 2 Using the transport system 3 Making yourself understood 4 Getting used to the pace of life 5 Going shopping 6 Going to social events/gatherings/functions 7 Worshipping in your usual way 8 Talking about yourself with others 9 Understanding jokes and humor 10 Dealing with someone who is unpleasant/cross/aggressive 11 Getting used to the local food/finding food you enjoy 12 Following rules and regulations 13 Dealing with people in authority 14 Dealing with the bureaucracy 15 Making yourself understood 16 Adapting to local accommodation 17 Communicating with people of a different ethnic group 18 Relating to members of the opposite sex 19 Dealing with unsatisfactory service 20 Finding your way around 21 Dealing with the climate 22 Dealing with people staring at you 23 Going to coffee shops/ food stalls/restaurants/fast food outlets 24 Understanding the local accent/language 25 Living away from family members overseas/independently from your parents 26 Adapting to local etiquette 27 Getting used to the population density 28 Relating to older people 29 Dealing with people of higher status 30 Understanding what is required of you at university 31 Coping with academic work 32 Dealing with foreign staff at the university 33 Expressing your ideas in class 34 Living with your host family 35 Accepting/understanding the local political system 36 Understanding the locals’ world view 37 Taking a local perspective on the culture 38 Understanding the local value system 39 Seeing things from the locals’ point of view 40 Understanding cultural differences 41 Being able to see two sides of an intercultural issue

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References