Caught in the middle? Chinese international students’ self-formation amid politics and pandemic

Q3 Social Sciences

International Journal of Chinese Education Pub Date : 2021-09-01 DOI:10.1177/22125868211058911

Jing Yu

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引用次数: 12

Abstract

With neo-nationalism spreading in both China and the US as well as the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese international undergraduate students are perceived as in-between: racialized in their host country and labeled as out-group members in their home country. In both contexts, their voices are constantly marginalized and silenced. Drawing upon the concept of self-formation, this article uses an ethical paradigm to emphasize students’ self-determining agency and capability in the process of personal transformation. Based on online observation and semistructured Zoom interviews, this study demonstrates that Chinese students tend to live and study resiliently amid current heightened uncertainties. More importantly, they actively exercise independent autonomy to facilitate plural identities, albeit under social circumstances beyond their control. Instead of being caught in the middle as framed by dominant discourses, this study shows that Chinese students’ decisions about study abroad, choices about social adaptation, and career ambition are deliberate and conscious, confronting ever-changing social, cultural, political, and economic conditions.

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夹在中间?政治与疫情背景下中国留学生的自我形成

随着新民族主义在中国和美国蔓延，以及新冠肺炎疫情的演变，中国国际大学生被视为中间人：在东道国被种族化，在本国被贴上门诊会员的标签。在这两种情况下，他们的声音不断被边缘化和压制。本文借鉴自我形成的概念，运用伦理学范式来强调学生在个人转变过程中的自主能动性和能力。基于在线观察和半结构化Zoom访谈，本研究表明，在当前不确定性加剧的情况下，中国学生倾向于弹性地生活和学习。更重要的是，他们积极行使独立的自主权，以促进多元身份，尽管是在他们无法控制的社会环境下。本研究表明，中国学生在面对不断变化的社会、文化、政治和经济条件时，对出国留学的决定、对社会适应的选择和职业抱负都是深思熟虑和有意识的，而不是被主流话语所束缚。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Chinese Education Social Sciences-Education

CiteScore

2.40

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Chinese Education (IJCE) is a result of the collaboration between Brill Academic Publishers and the Institute of Education at Tsinghua University. It aims to strengthen Chinese academic exchanges and cooperation with other countries in order to improve Chinese educational research and promote Chinese educational development. Through collaboration among scholars in and outside of China who are dedicated to the investigation of Chinese education, this journal aims to raise Chinese educational research levels, further recognize and solve Chinese educational problems, inform Chinese educational policies and decisions, and promote Chinese educational reform and development. This journal welcomes empirical as well as theoretical studies on particular educational issues and/or policies.