Intercultural Experience and Identity: Narratives of Chinese Doctoral Students in the UK (Palgrave Studies on Chinese Education in a Global Perspective)

Annotation This book examines the identity formation and negotiation of Chinese doctoral students in the UK, and the opportunity for self-transformation this experience offers. As the largest group of international students in the English-speaking world, Mainland Chinese students encounter a range of difficulties and prospects that may be relevant to the wider international student community. Using extensive qualitative and empirical data, the author explores the narratives of eleven Chinese doctoral students at two British universities through a sociological perspective. Balancing analysis with solid theoretical framework and the voices of the students themselves, the author moves away from essentialism and 'othering', instead shining a light on the effects of globalisation, internationalisation and recent policy strategies. This volume will be of interest and value to students and scholars of comparative and international education, identity formation, intercultural communication, the sociology of education and study abroad Front Matter ....Pages i-xi Setting the Scene for the Narratives to Follow (Lily Lei Ye)....Pages 1-37 The Story of Researching Chinese International Doctoral Students’ Identity (Lily Lei Ye)....Pages 39-55 Engaging with the Existing Stories (Lily Lei Ye)....Pages 57-94 Exploring the Self Through Giddens and Bourdieu (Lily Lei Ye)....Pages 95-122 A Dialogue with the Past: Thinking Through Lifestyle Choices (Lily Lei Ye)....Pages 123-145 Surviving and Thriving in the New Field: Keeping the Narrative Going (Lily Lei Ye)....Pages 147-185 Growing and Becoming: The Expanded Self (Lily Lei Ye)....Pages 187-207 Bringing the Future into the Present: Thinking Through Imagined Future Trajectories (Lily Lei Ye)....Pages 209-222 Learning from the Narratives (Lily Lei Ye)....Pages 223-238 Back Matter ....Pages 239-281