The Influence of American Popular Culture on Chinese English Majors: A Structural Equation Modelling Study

Abstract

Over the past 40 years, China has become progressively more open and integrated into globalization, including foreign-made movies and TV shows. The influence of American popular culture extends to English majors, who are among the most likely to be shaped by Hollywood’s ‘soft power.’ This research examines how their attitudes and behaviors are influenced by these depictions of American culture and values, and how this shapes their future career paths. A questionnaire (N = 497) was given to English majors at seven universities and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Some of the research literature suggests that Hollywood films particularly promote American visible culture; however, this study finds that non-visible aspects of culture (values, beliefs, lifestyles) are by far the most significant predictor of English majors’ image of America, their behavior, and potentially their future teaching practice. In doing so, Hollywood plays an important role in influencing the perceptions of Chinese English majors, including possibly challenging their value system.