A Study of the Guanxi Culture Dependency of the New Chinese Migrants in Phuket
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Abstract
This qualitative research aims to study the dependency of Guanxi culture among new Chinese immigrants living in Phuket, Thailand, by conducting the in-depth interviews with 10 Chinese informants who have lived in Phuket for at least 12 months. It is found that, new Chinese migrants regularly communicate with each other and occasionally assist and reciprocate with each other, which is consistent with some of the essential characteristics of the Guanxi culture. However, such a connection appears to be rather shallow. The participants are not aware of the necessity of relying on each other while living in Phuket. This indicates that the new Chinese community lacks a collective feeling and sense of belonging towards its members. In case of having problems, they put their own effort to obtain sufficient and reliable information and solution. Additionally, they trust the Thai legal system that is more inclusive of foreigner’s’ right compared to that of the past. The results also reveal that the new Chinese migrants lack mutual trust and confidence in one another due to the fact that they have just recently become acquainted with each other. As a result, the dependency of Guanxi culture among new Chinese immigrants tends to decrease.
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