Pragmatic cosmopolitanism in a parochial space: How international-student returnees (re)negotiate home in Teochew, China

Abstract

This article explores the notion of pragmatic cosmopolitanism in Teochew, China. It examines the way international student returnees perceive their sense of belonging at home and their cosmopolitan identities in a parochial area. Based on ethnographic research, this article offers a unique perspective from a specific regional space with significant migrant history that has witnessed dramatic socio-economic changes since China's ‘open door’ policy. Although the life trajectories of international student returnees reveal aspects of cosmopolitanism, they are deeply rooted in the moral obligation of filial piety in Teochew. Their life trajectories continue to be shaped and reshaped by familial expectations of kinship, marriage, and succession. Meanwhile, they struggle to maintain their cosmopolitan identities from the negotiable elements of returning, realised through their consumption choices and friendship circle.