Outsourced is a film which helps create an intercultural experience for those want to approach another culture. As Bisoux (2009) says the film is realistic, documentary like portrayal provides viewers a rich window into a global environment such as: cross-culture conflict, shock and adjustment. A leading actor- Todd Anderson, is a Western Novelty’s executive vice president of marketing and order fulfillment, has experienced an interesting journey from cultural shock to adjustment when he contacts to a new culture of India.
The difference between American and Indian cultures makes Todd fall down in culture shock. Culture shock is shown clearly in both mental and physical Todd’s symptoms from the first moment he sets his foot on India. There are many different definitions of culture shock such as “sense of confusion, discomfort, disorientation, and uncertainty felt by those exposed to a different cultural environment”-(business dictionary). Culture shock exactly means the impact you may feel when you enter a culture very different from one to which you are accustomed. Culture shock includes five stages that people may experience. Firstly it is honeymoon period (excitement and fascination with the new culture). Second is culture shock where excitement turns into disappointment and more and more differences occuring.The third stage is initial adjustment where they learn to accept the culture and to change their negative attitude to a positive one. The fourth is mental isolation where individual feel lonely and can’t express themselves as well as they could in their native languages. And the last is acceptance and adaptation phase where they will feel at home and become involved in activities and may enjoy some of that countries customs. Because Todd’s job and entire department are outsourced, he reluctantly travels to India to train his replacement. Everything in India is new, stranger and different from things in his country. As soon as he first contact with Indian culture, he has met difficulties in language, transportation, food, lifestyle, attitude and so on. He is confused by everything from catching a train to hiring a taxi. He felt be shocked, disoriented and bewildered. All these differences and difficulties make him fatigue, discourage and disorient. Because of his pick-up driver’s mispronunciation, he was missed and himself has to take a taxi to go to station. Then, being invited by surrounding cab drivers, he asked a cab driver from the distance to get out the complex surrounding. However, the man took Todd’s luggage to a dirty and old Rickshaw next to the taxi, not the taxi he asked. He was completely shocked because he has never met this situation in his country. When Todd was at the station, he had to run to throw his suitcase on the train and jump up the train. On the train, Todd is offered a seat by a boy, but he has to offer the boy sit on his legs. Besides, Todd suffers from a cramp when he eats gola from a street vendor. The food is not easy for him to eat at the beginning. Even, he couldn’t sleep well. All big shock to Todd increase seriously day by day. Todd came to India by compulsory of his boss, so he has no sense of outsourcing, of differences between two different countries: Indian and America. Besides he doesn’t prepare anything and has no knowledge about Indian people, culture as well as Indian country, so he didn’t undergo the time of honeymoon period. Also, it is the ethnocentrism that creates difficulties and leads to culture shock for Todd. Ethnocentrism is the belief of superiority that is one's personal ethnic group, judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one's own culture. Besides, it can also develop from racial or religious differences, concern to language, behavior, customs, religion, and divisions amongst members of different ethnicities, races, and religious groups in society. Even it is often accompanied by feelings of dislike for other groups. Although Todd wants to stay at reserved hotel, Puro insists Todd living in his aunt own house. For Puro’s belief that Todd will fell comfortable and warming by receiving the care of aunti Ji. Therefore Todd is put into irritating manner. When meeting Aunti Ji- the boarding house owner, Todd is asked intimate questions such as “What does father do? What is it you are selling? Are you married?” and so on. Todd feels uncomfortable and be invaded too much on his privacy. Todd comes from America- an individual country where people often respect to individual freedom of others and don’t have habit to ask others about family, age, or job at the first meeting. Whereas, India is a collectivist country, so they consider highly the harmony. They concern to others’ life, share and help others in difficulty. Indian people think that asking others about their personal life shows friendly attitudes and helps people get closer. Todd is also surprised when he know that Indian people have habits to eat by their right-hand but not left-hand, and they like coffee with a lot of sugar. Whereas, Todd acquainted with the habit to eat by his left-hand and put a little sugar in his coffee. Therefore, Todd is completely embarrassed when he realizes that he had to use his left-hand to make hygiene because there is no toilet paper as in America. Indians don’t use toilet paper but using their left-hand instead. Furthermore, when Todd’s initial encounters with his staff at the Gharapuri call center, Todd acts in an ethnocentric manner at the beginning. In one scene, he chastises his Indian employees, admonishing: “ Basically, you people need to learn about America”, ignoring the fact that the workers are native English speakers, albeit with a different accent. Another reason that leads Todd to serious manner is his personality. He seemingly thinks that Indian employees are crazy, they don’t know how to work. Therefore, he feels very angry and disappointed, worries that the rest of his life will be in India. If Todd had had time to prepare or take a culture training course, he would have accepted the new culture of India easier and got down the MPI faster. The final reason I think about is Todd’s his “surrounding society”. To clarify “surrounding society”, it is when falling down the deadlock, pessimism, and weary, Todd feels homesick and so he calls for his girlfriend. However, she falls in love with another man. Culture shock occurs in this period, and Todd falls down the case of “a fish out of water” These show out how importance of learning to accept and adapt to the differences in different cultures.
