The strength of culture: Acculturation and urban-settlement intention of rural migrants in China

The effect of acculturation on migrants' settlement has not been well explored in existing literature. Drawing on the cultural gravity model and the acculturation theory, this study offers a cultural perspective on the urban-settlement intention of rural migrants in China. Employing data from a large survey project, the analysis provides strong evidence on the settlement effect of acculturation among rural migrants. In particular, rural migrants who embrace the assimilation mode exhibit the strongest urban-settlement intention, followed by those who embrace the integration mode; whereas those who embrace the separation or marginalization mode exhibit the weakest urban-settlement intention. Moreover, how acculturation affects settlement intention is moderated by the period of urban stay and migration patterns of the migrants. The findings imply that the cultural gravity effect not only exists at the macro level, reflected by the migration flows among different countries, but also at the individual level, as shown by the settlement effect of acculturation among rural migrants. In addition, this study revealed that the bicultural migrants do not express the strongest urban settlement intention, thus the bicultural perspective of acculturation must be transcended to elucidate the effects of acculturation on migrants’ settlement intention.