Acculturation of rural–urban migrants in urbanising China: a multidimensional and bicultural framework

Abstract In many developing countries, including China, large numbers of internal migrants move to cities from rural areas in pursuit of an urban dream, but few studies have addressed acculturation of rural–urban migrants. We construct a multidimensional (in terms of components of acculturation such as practices, values, and identifications) and bicultural acculturation framework to understand adaptation by these migrants. Using data from a Guangzhou survey of rural–urban migrants in 2015–2016 and latent class analysis, four categories are identified, including two subtypes of integration and two subtypes of separation, which provide partial support for Berry's four‐category acculturation model. The cultural distance hypothesis, that is, increasing cultural distance makes it more difficult for migrants to achieve integration, is partially confirmed at both individual and regional levels. These findings validate our theoretical framework for the pattern of acculturation.