Chinese International Students and Citizenship: A Case Study in New Zealand (Governance and Citizenship in Asia)

"This book investigates how Chinese international students reconfigure their sense of themselves as citizens when they reflect on what Chinese citizenship means in the context of New Zealand. Adopting a case study approach, it develops a theory relating to the thoughts of Chinese international students; the theory is based on the communities, schools, family and state relationships of both their past and their contemporary daily experiences. It finds that the struggles of Chinese young people lie in between being individuals and submitting to the general will of the family, state and guanxi (a Chinese concept of interpersonal relationships). The book argues that the Western literature on citizenship is not sufficient in helping us understand how it is viewed in the Chinese contexts. It offers readers a picture of what citizenship means for Chinese young people and the role of citizenship education in Modern Chinese society, and demonstrates that the Chinese young people studied re-educated themselves on citizenship in a way that is unstable and emotional. This book makes important contributions to the literature on Chinese students who are studying abroad by going beyond the well-researched topics of academic and social experience to explore deeper understandings of each individual student's relationship to family and the state in China and how the study abroad experience has developed new understandings of individual's relationships to China, and new possibilities for contributing to Chinese society on return." -- prové de l'editor Preface Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 My Own Experience 1.2 Context of the Study 1.3 Research Questions and the Significance of the Study 1.4 Amy’s Story: A Pair of ‘Warm’ Gloves References Chapter 2: Historical and Conceptual Context of Chinese International Students’ Citizenship 2.1 Students Studying Abroad 2.2 Citizens and Citizenship 2.2.1 Emergence of ‘Traditional’ Notions of Citizenship 2.2.1.1 Greece 2.2.1.2 Sparta (430 BCE) 2.2.1.3 Rome 2.2.2 Modern Forms of Citizenship 2.2.2.1 Bounded Citizenship (Citizen and State) 2.2.2.2 Relationship Between State and Citizens 2.2.3 Contemporary Understandings of Citizenship 2.3 Citizens and Citizenship in China 2.3.1 Chinese Citizen Status 2.3.1.1 Social Rights 2.3.1.2 Civil Rights 2.3.1.3 Political Rights 2.3.2 Confucian Legacy 2.3.3 Political/Citizenship Education 2.4 Differences in the Chinese and New Zealand Political Contexts 2.4.1 New Zealand Citizen Status 2.4.1.1 Social Rights 2.4.1.2 Political Rights 2.4.1.3 Civil Rights 2.5 Principles of Citizenship 2.5.1 Contract 2.5.2 Freedom 2.5.3 Rationality 2.5.4 Argumentation 2.6 Conclusion References Chapter 3: Discovering the Methodology 3.1 Case Study Approach 3.2 The Logic of Enquiry in Method 3.2.1 From Mixed Methods to Qualitative Study 3.2.2 Methodological Dilemmas: Being an Outsider and Insider 3.2.2.1 Outsider of the Context 3.2.2.2 From an Outsider to an Insider 3.2.3 Recruitment 3.2.3.1 Selecting Participants 3.2.3.2 Sampling 3.2.4 Interview as a Methodology 3.2.4.1 First Layer of Data: Interviews with Chinese Students The Pilot Interview 3.2.4.2 Second Layer of Data: Focus Groups 3.2.5 Portraying People After Interviewing 3.3 Limitations in Time and Space 3.3.1 Time Boundaries 3.3.2 Space Boundaries References Chapter 4: Incorporating Everyday Experience into a Third Space 4.1 Theory of Third Space 4.2 Vignettes of the Participants in Third Space 4.3 Metaphors: Themes in the Third Space 4.4 Validity of This Study References Chapter 5: Study, Study, and Study 5.1 A Chinese Cultural Story: Zaobitouguang 5.1.1 Study, Study, and Study 5.2 Study for Whom? 5.2.1 Listening to ‘Dads’: Family as a Surrogate of the State 5.2.2 School as a Surrogate of the State 5.3 Historical Context 5.4 Outside of China References Chapter 6: ‘China Is Good Without Democracy’ 6.1 Different Understandings of Democracy 6.1.1 Democracy and Ethnic Structure 6.1.2 Chinese Way of Procedural Democracy 6.1.3 Democracy in China 6.2 Substantive Democracy vs. Western Democracy 6.3 Discussion References Chapter 7: Kites Flying: Chinese Students Reflect on Life Back Home 7.1 Loyalty-Based Kites 7.2 Criticism-Based Kites 7.3 Chameleon-Based Kites 7.4 Discussion 7.4.1 Communist Party = New China 7.4.2 Confidence and Gratitude References Chapter 8: The Citizens and the People 8.1 Reactions to Citizenship 8.1.1 Not Interested in Citizenship! 8.1.2 No Citizen, No Country! 8.1.3 Does Citizenship Signify That People Live in a City? 8.1.4 Accepted by the Country 8.2 The Citizen and the People 8.3 What Is a Good Citizen in China? References Chapter 9: A Bird Cage 9.1 Wishing to Go Back to the Cage 9.2 In the Enlightenment 9.3 Wishfully Flying References Chapter 10: Battle Between David and Goliath 10.1 Collectivism in China 10.2 Individualism in Chinese Students’ Eyes 10.3 Awakening David: Individualism References Chapter 11: Summary and Conclusions 11.1 Summary of Findings 11.1.1 Views of Citizenship Are Changing Over Time 11.1.2 Western Social Contract Theory and Eastern Understanding of Citizenship 11.1.2.1 Democracy Does Not Work in China 11.1.2.2 Individualism vs. Collectivism 11.2 Peopleship Rather than Citizenship in the Chinese Context 11.3 Review of the Third Space 11.3.1 Third Space as a Zone of Safety (in Which to Talk About Dissident Thoughts) 11.3.2 The Third Space Has Its Own Ethical Principles (e.g., Mutual Respect, Tolerance for Difference, No Hierarchy) 11.3.3 The Third Space Is Individualistic but Aims to Achieve Intersubjective Understanding 11.3.4 The Third Space Is a Reflective and Theorizing Space 11.4 Implications of the Third Space for Future Citizenship Education in China 11.5 Conclusion References Appendix: Profiles of the 20 Participants David Song Xu Cello Xiaowu Chen Xiao Jing Ling Sang Shan Dong Sun Yue Lang Lu Qi Xiaobai Ming Amy Li Jie