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Drawing from a study that explored how international students experience cross-cultural transitions after living and studying in Melbourne for a few years, this paper, in particular, examines the participants' experiences with culture shock, social interaction, and friendship development. The findings include narratives of their personal stories and perspectives on social engagement and friendship ties with a particular focus on variables including cultural similarity, intercultural communication competence, intercultural friendship, and relational identity to influence their experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on the personal experience of the author who had been employed as a Youth Arts Manager in a small, desert town in the Northern Territory. In her research honours study during the project for which she was engaged, she aimed to understand the tensions she experienced managing this partnership. Now, five years later, she reconsidered the experience and, placing the concept of culture shock at the forefront of her perspective, came to see the experience in a new light. Kate proposes that understanding protocols is a process embodiment that may be affected by the experience of culture shock, and secondly, that creative processes can be reduced neither to process nor product. Rather, with a clear understanding of aims and objectives as they relate to context, from community development can fruitful artistic partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The author explores issues and challenges associated with the cultural fluency skills of non-Indigenous Australian Public Service (APS) officials. Topics discussed include the social and economic impact of being resilient and culturally fluent on the Indigenous population in Australia, the social anxiety which may be attributed to cultural differences, characteristics of the four stages of culture shock such as honeymoon, regression, adjustment, and recovery, and the importance of learning and utilizing the language of a particular Australian culture.