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Crime can be divided into two main categories: misdemeanors and felonies. A misdemeanor, such as pick-pocketing, fare evasion, or something of that nature, is punishable with more than fifteen days in prison, but less than one year. Felonies are serious crimes, such as burglary, robbery, kidnapping, rape, and murder. These crimes are so serious that anyone found guilty will spend some time in prison. When a person who commits a crime is caught, that person, who is called a defendant or the accused, goes through a legal process. If the person is found guilty, then the judge decides what the punishment should be.

Culture shock is the term used to describe the experience many people have when they travel to another country. It shows what happens when an individual suddenly experiences the different cultural rules of another social group. Culture shock is a complex phenomenon, but I’m going to focus on three main ideas today. First of all, we will consider the reasons why people experience culture shock. Secondly, I will describe the different stages of this experience. Finally, I’ll mention why we have spent so much time and money to study this phenomenon. You might think that culture shock affects, say, only travelers, but that is not the case. In fact, cross-cultural studies have immense practical value for modern society.