CBS591/CBS4445 Intercultural Communication

Mainland Chinese university students’perception of cultural

differences in Hong Kong and their adaptation strategies
 Presentation outline
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review

Content
3. Methodology
4. Findings
5. Discussion
6. Conclusion & Limitation
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Introduction

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 Introduction
The development of mainland is moving towards
internationalization. The rapid economic growth and strong
expectation for further development increase the social demand for
higher education (Guo, 2017).
In the fierce competition in the global labor market, only the best
education and relevant certificates can meet the social needs. (Vyas
and Yu, 2018).

Compared with other countries and regions, the university in Hong

Kong has great attraction. (Guo, 2017).
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 Introduction
⬩ No. of mainland students studying in HK

⬩ Adjusting to cultural differences: challenge for them(Guo,

2017)

⬩ Previous studies: the adaptation of learning culture, political

culture, social culture

⬩ Adaptation of leisure culture was rarely mentioned,

we will explore this part.

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Literature Review

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 “Big C” and “Small C” Culture
(Jelena, 2017)
“Big C” Culture “Small C” Culture

culture which is more visible. in the more invisible type of culture

associated with a region, group of people,
Some visible forms of culture include:
language, etc.
1. Art (Paintings, architecture)
For example:
2. Education (Universities, curriculum)
1. Everyday Living (Food and drink,
3. History
Leisure activities: hobbies, sports,
4. Literature (Novels,Poems,etc)
media)
2. Interpersonal relations
3. Living Conditions (Housing conditions) 7
In previous studies,
Language & learning culture: barriers to cross-cultural
adaptation.(Pan,2011)

Language ： Learning culture：

English language ability & skills in research,
confidence in English skills. discussion & presentation.

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In our studies,
Entertainment (e.g. social media and pop culture):barrier to cross-cultural
adaptation.(Citizen News, 2018)

Social media ： Pop culture：

⬩ M ainland: prefer wechat, weibo ⬩ Different hobbies with local
⬩ HK: prefer Whatsapp, FB students in variety shows,
TV shows & songs

Whatsapp, FB are tools to work without

emotionally dependent

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Factors that can affect adaptation

Curriculum structure (Tian,2019)

Long term campus interactions

Decreasing prejudice & facilitating interaction

Promoting cross-group friendships

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Factors that can affect adaptation
Social interaction (Tian,2019)

Cohabitation, daily activity arrangements & long-term personal contact

Understand the cultural differences, like entertainment between the two parties

Easy to adapt to cultural differences

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Factors that can affect adaptation
Sociopolitical climate (Tian,2019)

current socio-political climate → mainland students on the defensive

corresponding decrease in their online group activities.

Hard to adapt to cultural differences

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The concept of cross-cultural adaptation
The cultural integration of two dimensions（maintain identity
with mother culture & maintain relationships with the local
society） can represent four different attitudes：(Min, Z., Hui, C.,
Hongsheng, Che, 2003)

Assimilation

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Methodology

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 Subjects

University students
from mainland China
studying in Hong Kong

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Research Questions
⬩ What are the differences between mainland China and Hong
Kong in the aspect of leisure culture from the mainland
students’perspectives?

⬩ What are the underlying cultural concepts that mainland

students are using to adapt to Hong Kong's lifestyle after
realizing the cultural difference?

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Data Collection
⬩ M ethod

Survey Interview

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Data Collection - Surveys
⬩ Online

⬩ Period: Nov 13-18, 2020

⬩ 26 Participants (23 Female, 3 M ale)

QR Code for
Questionnaire link
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Data Collection - Interview
⬩ Personal interview (online)

⬩ Period: Nov 16-18, 2020

⬩ 6 Participants (5 Female, 1 M ale)

QR Code for
interview details
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Findings:
Survey 20
 Survey (Question 17-24)-
Cultural differences - Social M edia

Social M edia

Question :Do you agree that the social media is different between Hong Kong and Mainland China?

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 Survey (Question 6-7) -
Cultural differences - Social M edia

Q : use the most in Mainland China Q : use the most in Hong Kong
(Social Media) (social media)

Result :
In Hong Kong,

Finding 1 :
Before (In mainland China) : mainly use the Chinese social media
After (In Hong Kong) : Keep using the Chinese social media +using the new social media
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 Survey (Question 8-9) -
Cultural differences - Social M edia

Do you agree that social media is different

in Hong Kong and Mainland China?

Result: ~70%: Different

Differences in social media between

HK and Mainland China?

● Choice of apps
● Slangs
● Censorship

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 Survey (Question 10-13)-
Cultural differences - Leisure Activities
Type of leisure activities
In mainland China

Result : Offline activities

In Hong Kong

Finding 2 :
Watch TV , Cinema, Karaoke
- Requiring language proficiency
- Spend less time on these activities
< 5 times/year 1-2 times/4 months 1-2 times/month after come to HK
1-2 times/week > 5 times/week

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 Survey (Question 14-16)-
Cultural differences - Leisure Activities
Entertainment program
Question: Web/Apps use to watch entertainment program online?

Result: significantly different

M ainland China Hong Kong

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 Survey (Question 17-24)-
Cultural differences - Shopping culture

Shopping culture

Question :Do you agree that the shopping culture is different between Hong Kong and Mainland China?

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 Survey (Question 17 AND 22)-
Cultural differences - Shopping culture
Shopping culture (Offline)

Differences in shopping (offline)

Much better in M ainland China

Slightly better in M ainland China

No difference

Slightly better in Hong Kong

Much better in Hong Kong

Technical functions e.g. Livestream, fitting model

Offline shopping: Mainland China > HK

- 5 /6 choices
- More people vote for “Much better / Slightly better in mainland China”

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 Survey (Question 17 AND 22)-
Cultural differences - Leisure Activities
Shopping culture (Offline)

Differences in shopping (offline)

Shopping with friends

Shopping alone

Both/Similar

Results : not significant

- The number of “Go shopping individually” increased.

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 Survey (Question 17-24)-
Cultural differences - Leisure Activities

Shopping culture(Online)
Much better in M ainland China
Differences in shopping (online)
Slightly better in M ainland China

No difference

Slightly better in Hong Kong

Much better in Hong Kong

Online shopping: M ainland China > HK

- 7/ 7 choices
- M ost of the people vote for
“Much better / Slightly better in
Mainland China”
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 Survey (Question 17-24)-
Cultural differences - Leisure Activities

Shopping culture(Online)
Differences in Online shopping APPs

Much better in M ainland China

Slightly better in M ainland China

No difference

Slightly better in Hong Kong

Much better in Hong Kong

Technical functions e.g. Livestream,

fitting model

Online shopping: mainland China > HK

- 3 /5 choices
- More people vote for “Much better / Slightly better in Mainland China”

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 Survey (Question 17-24)-
Cultural differences - Leisure Activities

Shopping culture (Online)

Question : Using Taobao in Hong Kong? Question : Using Taobao in Hong Kong
is more inconvenient?

Finding : mainland students will keep using the Chinese apps

BUT not as convenient as before

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 Survey (Question 25)-
Adaptation Strategies - Leisure Activities

How do you adapt to Hong Kong's social media? (After coming to Hong Kong)

Results :

➔ 50%↑ =Using social media from both HK and M ainland.

➔ 30%↑ =Using Mainland’s social media > HK social media.

➔ 23% =Using HK social media > M ainland’s social media
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 Survey (Question 26)-
Adaptation Strategies - Leisure Activities

How do you adapt to Hong Kong’s entertainment media?

Results:

➔ 70%↑ : still watching Mainland’s entertainment media.

➔ 34.6% :watching both HK and Mainland’s entertainment media

➔ 27% : prefer to watch HK > Mainland’s entertainment media.

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 Survey (Question 27)-
Adaptation Strategies - Leisure Activities

How do you adapt to Hong Kong’s Shopping culture?

Results:

➔ 50% : still prefer to use Mainland’s shopping apps.

➔ 30% : using both Mainland’s & HK’s shopping apps..

➔ Only 1 interviewee said HK shopping apps are prefered.

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Findings:
Interview
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Social media
For mainland Chinese students:
⬩ enough privacy
(stranger can text you without permission)
(stranger can add you through “the mutual friend”)

⬩ M ore freedom
(Some information is blocked in M ainland China)

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 Entertainment Media
No.of TV channels:
V.S.
M ainland China > HK

HK movies with Cantonese subtitles:

Non-cantonese speakers X understand local jokes/slangs

M ainland TV: more regulations

?
Cantonese profanity in HK TV shows is allowed
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Shopping
For M ainland Chinese students:

⬩ online shopping (expensive mailing fee)

⬩ Payment method is not convenient

(e-payment by phone is very popular in M ainland China)
⬩

⬩ More discount in Hong Kong but shopping malls are crowded

⬩ Products are more expensive but of higher quality

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Dining
Language: Different choice of words ( 打包 vs 拎走 )

Gesture: Different ways to pay ( 舉手結賬 vs 直接拿單去收銀臺付賬 )

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Adaptation strategies😊
Positive mindset:
⬩ Respect local culture: “When in Romes, do as the Romans do”
⬩ To be open-minded: try to accept & appreciate other culture
⬩ Consider the perspectives of the locals & take Hong Kong people’s
sociocultural background into account
Actions on adaptation:
⬩ Learning Cantonese is crucial
⬩ Understanding local culture, norm & language through: making local friends
watching local TV programme
⬩ Using more social media which is banned in Mainland China to socialize with locals
⬩ afraid of making mistakes when adapting local culture
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Adaptation strategies😰
Things that mainland Chinese students hard to adapt :
⬩ Language barrier is an issue ( Cantonese is the predominant
language in HK )
⬩ Eg. hard to understand Cantonese slangs
⬩ Eg. not easy to change the accent and choice of words

Not eager to adapt by:

- S aying “No”to any adaptation method
- Emphasizing the difficulty of adaptation

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 Discussion
(Differences)
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Culture differences is always happening!

M ainstream : Hong Kong culture Co-cultures = University students from Mainland China

- Some slightly difference from mainstream

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What’s the differences they have found?
Iceberg metaphor

They have
found☑

They have not found✖

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What’s the differences they have found?
“Big C” culture, “Little c” culture

Big C
- most visible
- Human-made material products Can discover most of
the difference of “Big
c”culture

“Little c”
- Invisible Can discover part of
- Spiritual product the difference of
“Little c”culture

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What’s the differences they have found?
Iceberg metaphor “Big C” culture, “Little c” culture

✓ only paid attention to the deviations on the exterior actions

- Shopping
- Lack of payment method
- High pricing
- Dining
- Different ways / gesture to pay

X understand the reasoning behind

- Shopping
- Lack of variety of payment method (security?)
- High pricing (Rent?)
- Dining
- Base on different restaurants?
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 Discussion
(Adaptation)
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 How they adapt into a new culture?
Perception affects a lot

Selection
- Selectively focusing on the most important information
- Shopping : China is better, don't have to learn new things in HK
- Shopping : Payment methods, shopping apps,
Interpretation
- interpretations =subjective + based on personal and cultural factors
- Dining gesture
- Wording

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 How they adapt into a new culture?
Communication affects a lot - 7Cs principle

➔ Consideration (X understand the culture of each other)

◆ M ainland Chinese student : understand the Code mixing conversation
(English word in Cantonese utterance)
◆ Hong Kong people : understand the background of mainland Chinese
Small potato?
➔ Correctness (Correct language) 土豆?
◆ M any loan words & slangs in HK Cantonese 小薯?
◆ Same meaning but different wordings in Cantonese and Putonghua 薯仔?
◆ Traditional Chinese (HK) VS Simplified Chinese (Mainland China)

➔ Courtesy (Politeness)
◆ Some bad experiences toward Chinese students > affect their adaptation

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 The Acculturation Model
M aintenance of own culture
HIGH LOW
Interactions HIGH Integration Assimilation
with other
cultures LOW Separation Marginalization

Interviewees’ Integration Separation/ Separation Assimilation

Approach Integration 50
Culture theory
Culture is ethnocentric
➢ One’s own culture is superior to other cultures
➢ Use own culture to judge another
consider it to be wrong and illogical

❖ Example from interviewee:

➢ [打包]: accepted in Mainland China, even in Guangdong province
accepted in HK: the cashier thought she was wrong
and argued with her
➢ [拎走] : how Hong Kong people speak

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 Can culture be learned?

Three levels of uniqueness in human mental programming (Hofstede, 1991)

Culture
- collective phenomenon
- is learned
- Some of the interviewee provided
adaptation strategy

Personality
- Inherited OR learned
- Some of the interviewee do not know
how to adapt to a new culture

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Conclusion

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Conclusion
Differences
- Differences between mainland China and Hong Kong
- Interviewee discovered the External differences but no internal differences

W hy differences ?
- Dominant cultures (HK) VS Subcultures (mainland Chinese students)

Adaptation
- perception, communication, personality affects a lot

Different way to see adaptation

- Culture is ethnocentric
- The Acculturation M odel
- Three levels of uniqueness in human mental programming

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Limitations

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Limitations
★ Methodology
○ Insufficient sample size for perfect analysis.
○ Questions are not perfectly set.
○ Interviewees: difficult to approach due to pandemic.

★ Gender
○ One of the factor to affect their view / adaptation method

★ Time constraint
○ Room for improvement
○ Hope to improve this in our future studies

★ External factors
○ The collection of data during the pandemic > affect results?
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Reference
● Gao, X. (2017). Mainland Chinese undergraduates' academic socialisation in Hong Kong. Journal
of Further and Higher Education, 41(3), 364-378.
● Vyas, Lina, & Yu, Baohua. (2018). An investigation into the academic acculturation experiences of
Mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong. Higher Education, 76(5), 883-901.
● Mok, K. H. (2016). Massification of higher education, graduate employment and social mobility in the
Greater
● China region. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 37(1), 51–71.
● Tian, X. (2019). Space and personal contacts: Cross-group interaction between mainland and
local university students in Hong Kong. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(1),
63-82.
● Pan, J. (2011). A resilience-based and meaning-oriented model of acculturation: A sample of
mainland Chinese postgraduate students in Hong Kong. International Journal of Intercultural
Relations,35(5), 592-603.

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Questions & Answers

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