Research On Acculturation Of American Expatriates Of CDB Project In China

As the economies of the world are interconnected with nearly no regional limit, the parties involved would continue interacting with people and areas whose culture is more often than not different from their own. Different economic, political systems and cultural values come into conflict and crash on the world stage. How to survive in this kind of cross-cultural environment for human has been of interest to scholars for over50years.Originally introduced in anthropology, acculturation is then scientifically studied in the fields of psychology and sociology at the group level as well as the individual level. Numerous researches and theories have emerged to describe elements of the acculturation process. Contemporary researches at the individual level put forward regular states of acculturation process and variables affecting how well individuals adapt to the culture of host country. Meanwhile, with globalization development in depth and width, and frequent intercultural communication between East and West, the adaptation made by minorities such as overseas students, business expatriates in response to their contact host countries have attracted much attention.Although there are a lot of empirical researches of acculturation of foreigners in China, no one takes the Smooth State of acculturation as a separate state to have a deep consideration of its relevant influencing factors. The present research is mainly built on the theories of Geert Hofstede’s mode of cultural dimensions, Dodd’s four-stage of the adaptation process and Colleen Ward’s influential factors in psychological and sociocultural dimensions of acculturation. Based on the theoretical foundation above, the author carries out a survey on American expatriates in Chevron Chuandongbei (CDB) Project to investigate their acculturation status quo in Chuandongbei area (the northeast of Sichuan Province) of China and to find out some significant influencing factors exaggerating or limiting the final smooth state of cross-cultural adaptation and the underlying reasons for their relation. By gathering and analyzing former research theories and related studies of acculturation, the author tries to consider acculturation as a four-stage process influenced by psychological and sociocultural factors before carrying out this study. Therefore, the main questions of the questionnaire are divided into two major sections:1) the present acculturation states of expatriates;2) influential factors on acculturation states. After that, five expatriates at the Smooth State of acculturation are invited to be interviewed privately and separately so as to prove the objectiveness of the questions formulated in the questionnaire as well as reflecting the reality of expatriates’thoughts of experience in their acculturation process.Some major research findings from the result of this investigation could be borne out as follows. Firstly,52.5%of American expatriates of CDB Project have adjusted to Chinese cultural environment at the Smooth State while20%of them are still struggling at the Valley State. Secondly, the three factors-Age, Psychological Stress, and Social Interaction have the most significant impact on American expatriates’successful cross-cultural adaptation (the Smooth State of acculturation) in China. Thirdly, the factor of Language Proficiency has no correlation with the Smooth State of acculturation.