STRESS, RESILIENCE AND PUBLIC POLICIES IN CROSS-CULTURAL MOBILITY: HOW HOFSTEDE'S DIMENSIONS GUIDE STRATEGIES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Abstract

Cross-cultural mobility, intensified by globalization, is a central phenomenon of the twenty-first century, promoting diversity, but also psychological challenges such as cultural stress, arising from language barriers and value clashes. Cross-cultural psychology analyzes how culture influences stress, using the Lazarus and Folkman model, which highlights primary (threat perception) and secondary (coping resources) evaluation. Hofstede's cultural dimensions, such as individualism vs. collectivism, show how values shape stress, with collectivist cultures offering social support and individualistic amplifying the pressure for autonomy. In multicultural contexts, discrimination and differences in norms exacerbate the problem, requiring public policies that promote adaptation. There is a need for more research on state interventions to mitigate cross-cultural stress.