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Cross-Cultural Adaptation African Students in China


Dismas Nyamwana

Abstract

The study of cultural adaptation has been conducted among African students living in China. 181 participants took part in the study and completed the Expatriate Adaptation Inventory (EAI). The data gathered through this inventory were completed by those got through fieldwork method. The results of this research indicate that African students feel homesick in high frequency; they have mixed feelings towards the host country, and are moderately satisfied with life in China.


Consequently, all African students experience culture shock to a high degree.


Further, the social contact turned out to be a vital factor in lightening the students' process of adjustment in the host country. Besides, African female students seem to experience culture shock more than do African male students while those who have experience abroad can manage to live in China more than those who have never been abroad before coming in China.


The participants state that they suffer not only from what they call a “soft racism” but also from the Chinese people apparent belief in sociodarwinism theory.


IFE Psychologia Vol.12(2) 2004: 1-16

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eISSN: 1117-1421