Examining the Role of Home Culture Connectedness and Societal Attitude in Chinese International Students’ Acculturation process in U.S. Universities
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2022
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Abstract
This dissertation responds to a need in exploring the role of home culture connectedness in Chinese international students’ psychological and sociocultural adaptations, which is overlooked in the deficit-thinking-oriented acculturation approach. The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating role of Chinese international students’ home culture connectedness in psychological adaptation and sociocultural adaptation. In addition, given the significant shift in societal attitude toward China and Chinese students in the U.S. at the time of this study, this dissertation aims to explore the role of perceived societal attitude as the macro context in the hypothesized model of home culture connectedness during acculturation. Two hundred and six (N = 206) Chinese international students studying in 32 universities or colleges across the U.S. participated in an online survey. Using two multiple regression analyses, the study revealed a moderating role of home culture connectedness in the relationship between host culture connectedness and psychological adaptation, but no moderating role of home culture connectedness in the relationship between host culture connectedness and sociocultural adaptation was identified. In addition, the findings indicated that the perceived societal attitude, measured by perceived social discrimination, had significant negative relationships with psychological adaptation and sociocultural adaptation. Furthermore, the perceived social discrimination moderated the relationship between host culture connectedness and psychological adaptation, as well as the relationship between home culture connectedness and sociocultural adaptation. These findings implied recommendations to help Chinese international students’ psychological adaptation and sociocultural adaptation when home culture connectedness and perceived societal attitude as moderators in the acculturation, especially during a health crisis, such as the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Acculturation, Chinese international students, Home culture connectedness, Host culture connectedness, Psychological adaptation, Sociocultural adaptation