Anticipatory Socialization In St. Paul's Episcopal Church

“The first phase, anticipatory socialization, emphasizes the degree to which one is prepared, before entry, for what occurs in the new cultural context. The way one anticipates what will occur can either aid or hinder the individual’s adjustment, but either way, it will in some way shape what occurs.” (216) Before going into St. Paul’s Episcopal Church I started to initially prepare for what I assumed to be the church service. I know that I like to process things and be prepared for whatever I am going into, but I hadn’t realized that that could also shape the visit. I was prepared for such a different kind of service than I am accustom to, but the service was actually very similar. I was thankful that I wasn’t fearful of how the experience was going to be and that led me to being more comfortable as I interacted with the members of the church. I understand that if I went into the visit with a certain amount of fear that my visit would not have been as productive as it actually was.

“ (216) I could see myself potentially facing some culture shock at this church if I were to become a member here. I say that I could face culture shock because being in the minority of a group ethnically can over time cause some anxiety. I was in the minority at my first job for years and had not realized how much anxiety that caused in certain meetings. I can empathize with minority groups as they encounter culture shocks because I myself have experienced this stage in various