The aftermath of the pandemic: exploring transnational identity development among Chinese international students in Canada
Loading...
Date
2023-08-08
Authors
Wang, Linxiao
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a significant shift in the focus of international student migration (ISM) literature towards understanding and addressing the profound impact of the pandemic on international students. However, the existing literature primarily centers on their lived experiences within the host country, often overlooking the current reality of these students whose lives may transcend traditional geographical borders of nation-states. Despite the transnational nature of their lives enabled by accessible modes of transportation and the rapid development of online media technologies, this aspect remains inadequately acknowledged. To address this gap, adopting a transnational lens that scrutinizes localities in more than one nation-state and replaces dichotomies (home countries versus host countries) with the notions of fluidity can be helpful to illuminate a more nuanced and richer account (Nowicka, 2020; Toukan et al., 2020). Using life history interviews as the primary research method and a transnational lens as the theory, this paper aims to examine 1) the reported lived experiences of Chinese international students in Canada, especially during the pandemic period, and 2) how these lived experiences affect them in terms of their developing transnational identities? The results shed light on the struggles, challenges, and personal growth encountered by Chinese international students within the context of the pandemic, highlighting the complex, dynamic, and in-becoming nature of their transnational identity.
Description
Keywords
Transnationalism, Chinese international students, The COVID-19 Pandemic, Internationalization of Higher Eduacation