CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020
| Author | Kis, Andrea |
|---|---|
| Title | Transnational Mobility And The Desire For International Education Among Elite Families In Contemporary China |
| Summary | Since the 2010s, Chinese students have become the biggest consumers of international education, making up the largest group of international students in English-speaking Western countries. Scholars have documented the motivation of Chinese international students studying abroad and their overseas experience. As previous research mostly treats Chinese international students as an unvaried and homogenous group, little attention has been paid to elite Chinese applicants. Although studying abroad is no longer exclusively attainable by only elites in China, they have different experiences than others as it has become a much-coveted commodity through “class- based consumption” (Liu-Farrer 2016). This thesis aims to advance the understanding of transnational mobility and desire for international education by zooming in on Chinese elite families. The research draws on 30 in-depth interviews with students and parents of Chinese elite families and participant observations at an elite education agency that provides personalised services to support their goals of elite education overseas. The families’ narratives and the agency’s mission demonstrate that elite international education goes beyond class-based consumption that facilitates the conversion of economic, cultural and social capital. It also means social reproduction and capital accumulation among elite families in contemporary China. Furthermore, the findings also suggest that the ultimate goals of education migration among the elites in China is not settlement overseas but to become global elites who enjoy home-field advantages in China while expanding their networks and resources across the world. |
| Supervisor | Qiong (Miranda) Wu, Ayse Caglar |
| Department | Sociology MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2020/kis_andrea.pdf |
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