Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Publication Title

Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communications

Volume

Advance online publication

Pages

17 pp.

Abstract

In this paper, I use the intercultural communication model, The Stages of Being Foreign, developed by anthropologist Oberg (1960) and modified by Gullahorn & Gullahorn (1963), Lewis & Jungman (1986), and Ward, Bochner, and Furnham (2001) to explain the experience of culture shock. This model describes the stages that individuals experience when they leave, either voluntarily or involuntarily, their home country/culture and must adapt to a new culture. These stages as described by Oberg are a preliminary stage (a spectator stage), an increasing participation stage, the pit of the culture shock stage, the adaptation stage, and for some migrants a reentry stage if they return to their home country. This model is still widely used by study abroad administrators and managers in corporations who assign students and workers abroad. I apply this model to the experiences of three refugee children depicted in two films: Lost Birds (2015) directed by Aren Perdeci and Ela Alyamac (Türkiye) and Daughter of Keltoum (2001) directed by Mehdi Charef (Algeria/France). Findings are that all three children experience the Stages of Being Foreign and make difficult adjustments to new lives.

Rights

© 2026 The Author.

Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communications is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

ORCID

0009-0005-7399-1524 (Hassencahl)

Original Publication Citation

Hassencahl, F. (2026). Stages of being foreign as portrayed in Daughter of Keltoum and Lost Birds. Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communications. Advance online publication. https://www.athensjournals.gr/media/2025-6654-AJMMC-MED-Hassencahl-02.pdf

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