Host People's Kindness and Migrant Workers' Cultural Adaptation: Evidence from South Korea

Abstract

This study purports to determine the predictors of migrant workers' cultural adaptation in South Korea. In the main, we examined the extent to which the level of inter-/intracultural socializing, exposure to local/native media, and host culture receptivity affect the level of cultural adaptation in cognitive, affective, behavioral domains. Potential impacts of demographic factors (e.g., age, sex, ethnicity, marital status, living alone vs. with family, education level, residency in years, perceived cultural similarity) were also explored. To find answers to the research questions, a total of 634 migrant workers from 37 different nations were reached using a snowball sampling. Surveys were collected in 12 districts of Seoul, the capital of South Korea, and 21 adjacent metropolitan areas. Results indicate that intercultural interaction with host people and media exposure to local contents tend to help improve their knowledge about South Korea (e.g., language, culture). With all else equal, migrant workers treated kindly by Koreans at the workplace and in service sectors, and those living with family, compared to those who live alone, tended to enjoy a greater satisfaction with work and life in South Korea and were more willing to stay. Practical implications for Korean policymakers include encouraging competent migrant workers to move together with the family, making administrative efforts to further simplify the documentation process, and initiating public campaigns to raise host culture receptivity among Korean citizens.