| This is a quantitative study of the social network and intercultural adjustment issue of post-1980s rural migrant workers in Shanghai. Due to dual cultural structure in China, post-1980s rural migrant workers are faced with no less difficulty than other migrants. Intercultural Adjustment of this young group is inevitably becoming an issue in Shanghai. Relating to Intercultural Communication studies, Kim's networks and outgroup communication competence, Yum's intercultural networks versus intracultural networks, together with Smith's network and acculturation theory initiated the present study.The present study used SPSS to process the data collected in Shanghai, the biggest metropolis which has also undergone the most foreign influences in China. One hundred fifty four (n=154) valid self-designed questionnaires were collected which included personal information, scales on the intercultural adjustment as well as scales measuring social network. Rural migrants'ego-centered social communication networks, intercultural adjustment, and relationships of social network and adjustment were explored respectively.The results indicate that the majority of the group adopted integration strategy and were adjusted to lives in Shanghai. Their social networks are not random, but exhibit features of both small-world and homogenous networks. The study also shows that size of their networks positively correlate with overall adjustment level and degrees of density and homogeneity of their network positively correlated with the group's intercultural psychological distress. The significant correlation between locals'size in their networks and overall adjustment was not found, which indicates the formation of subcultural group of the young rural migrants. As a study of migrating and weak group, this study provides an intercultural communication perspective and related data in terms of social integration of the second generation migrant workers.
|
PDF Full Text Request