Understanding the symbolic capital of intercultural interactions: a case study of international students in Australia

Intercultural interaction plays an important role in contributing to international students’ learning and wellbeing in the host country. While research on international students’ intercultural interactions reveals multifaceted aspects of personal and social factors, there is a tendency to consider language barrier and cultural differences as individual factors that constrain their interactions with the institutional community. Drawing on 105 interviews with international students in Australian vocational education and training and dual sector institutions, this paper examines international students’ intercultural interactions in host institutions and the factors that act as enablers or inhibitors for intercultural interactions. It highlights the social and structural conditions in creating symbolic capital of elitist Anglo-Australian culture and English language, and social differentiation. This paper offers insights into understanding the legitimacy of such elitism, in hope that future conceptualisation, research and practices of intercultural interactions may locate international students within their cultural diversity.     

Professional support staff at higher education institutions in Sweden: roles and success factors for the job

This paper aims to analyse and discuss the professional support staff at higher education institutions in Sweden in terms of how they view their roles and what the success factors for them are. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with support staff from the fields of business liaison, internationalisation and strategic research support. The results show that the participants have shaped their own roles and see themselves as back-office staff. This can make it challenging for them to prove their contribution to the academic activities of education and research. Because they neither identify themselves as administrators nor hold academic positions, their ability to build credibility on a personal basis is a central success factor. Aware of being actors in a culture dominated by academic values and norms, they see a more transparent discussion of their roles as a desirable development in the sector.     

A study of migrant mothers: Return home and role change

For migrant groups moving from one place to another usually means dealing with contradictions between home and host countries and with different cultural norms. Taking into consideration migrant women's previous status in the village and their new one in the host country, it can be said that migration is a turning point in women's lives. Research findings show that increased employability of women in the host country increases their independence and leads to sex role changes and changes within the family.Return migration is the last stage in the migration cycle and it is a rather neglected and little researched topic as yet. The purpose of this paper is to report on research on role changes within the family.Three groups of migrant mothers (two groups living in West Germany and one group repatriated) were compared with a control group in the District of Drama, Macedonia, on work employment and types of responsibilities concerning their children's upbringing.Results showed that mothers who live in West Germany are equally responsible with fathers for the child's social behavior, school performance and expenses and were significantly different from the control group. Return mothers were as much as fathers responsible for the child's school performance in contrast to the control group. More mothers than fathers, however, were responsible for the child's relationships and fewer mothers than fathers were responsible for the child's expenses; in this respect both parents resembled those of the control group. It seems therefore, that migrant mothers take over different roles in the host country than those of the controls, whereas return mothers adopt to a large extent the stereotyped role of control mothers.     

Managing International Branch Campuses: What Do We Know?

Over the last decade, the growth of the international branch campus (IBC) has been one of the most striking developments in the internationalisation of higher education. There are now over 200 IBCs across the world, mostly in the Middle East and East and South‐east Asia. Despite the growing numbers of IBCs and the considerable financial and reputational risk they pose to their home universities, relatively little is known about the challenges of managing these foreign outposts. This paper reviews the growing, but still fragmented, literature in this increasingly important sector of higher education. It finds that managers of IBCs are faced with a range of challenges, which primarily stem from dealing with key stakeholder groups: students, staff, home and host country quality regulators, the home university and the host government, as well as the IBC's local joint venture partners. It concludes that further work is required to better understand the factors which influence and constrain IBC managers in balancing the competing interests of stakeholders.     

Pedagogic democracy versus pedagogic supremacy: migrant academics’ perspectives

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates the underexplored area of othering of migrant academics within their teaching context. Nine personal narratives of migrant academics’ teaching were analysed qualitatively for indications of pedagogical othering. Migrant academics indicated the need to align their own pedagogic values and practices with that of their host institutions they work in as they felt their own values and practices were considered less desirable. We argue, from a Gramsci’s hegemonic perspective, that the pedagogic adaptation by migrant academics aimed at improving student learning is not problematic in itself, but more problematic is the inequality of opportunity for migrant academics to contribute to pedagogical decisions which can meaningfully influence the departmental culture. Lack of pedagogic democracy where the ‘home’ academic environment has a monopoly of knowledge and a hegemonic position regarding learning and teaching can compromise the student-learning experience by limiting articulation of alternative pedagogical perspectives by the migrant international academics.     

The Monsoon Wedding phenomenon: understanding Indian students studying in Australian universities

How does the University sector identify and support the diverse needs of Indian students? This paper reports on a research project carried out on undergraduate students from India enrolled at a Melbourne‐based University. The focus is the need to understand why Indian students choose an overseas destination for tertiary study. The intent is to explore how the curriculum that they have experienced in their country prepares them for study in another. We examine the expectations of students in relation to studying overseas. The suggestion underlying this paper is that if academic and support staff in tertiary education understand international students in cultural cohorts, then it is more likely that their transition to tertiary education will be easier. We envisage that this may also lead to a greater retention rate for universities.     

Locked out,locked in and stuck: exploring migrant academics’ experiences of moving to the UK

Current understanding of international academic mobility tends to view migrant academics as career-oriented actors who can follow opportunities across borders with relative ease. This paper offers a more nuanced reading of international mobility in academia by analysing how the professional context influences migrant academics’ decisions to come to and remain in the United Kingdom (UK). Drawing on data from 62 semi-structured interviews with foreign-born academics employed in the UK, the paper argues that the availability of (relatively) good-quality employment shapes international academic mobility more than country preferences. However, academics may become ‘stuck’ in the country of residence even when employment conditions deteriorate, not only because they are gradually tracked into country’s higher education system and culture but also because they lose the credentials, work experience and networks that may be needed to make another international move. This paper therefore shows that ‘stickiness’ in international mobility involves not only being ‘locked into’ a country but also being ‘locked out’ of another, and in so doing contributes to knowledge about the ways in which migrant academics become stuck whilst working abroad.

     

Not quite university people? Academics teaching on foundation studies programmes in New Zealand universities

ABSTRACT

In the current neoliberal environment in higher education, universities are viewed as a valuable source of income. To generate this income, universities need to attract students, and in order to do so, they need to perform well in global ranking tables. These tables are influenced to a large extent by staff research and postgraduate teaching. Foundation studies programmes (FS) do not usually have a great deal to offer in these categories and this places staff teaching on these programmes in a difficult position. This article explores the perceptions of staff teaching on FS programmes in New Zealand universities, drawing on data from semi-structured interviews with 22 lecturers from four universities. Although lip service is paid in higher education circles to the importance of widening access to university education for traditionally marginalised groups, it appears that staff teaching on FS programmes do not, on the whole, receive acknowledgement, support or reward for the work that they do. Despite their marginalised status, these lecturers are committed to helping second chance learners. However, their ability to make a positive impact on these students’ lives is limited by their lowly status in the university sector. This article discusses the insights of FS staff and considers the implications of their positioning in the university sector. It offers some suggestions as to how, in a small way, universities could address the difficulties these academics face in their attempts to widen university access.     

Changing Values? Early retirement and the new universities

Abstract

This article examines the potential impact of the recent changes to the Teachers Superannuation Scheme (TSS) and the resulting wave of early retirements, on the nature of academic work and cultures in the ‘new’ universities. In doing so it considers the potential for one externally driven initiative, implemented outside of the control of organisational managers, to have a quite extraordinary effect on workers across a whole occupational sector. It assesses the force of an early retirement programme as a catalyst for increased managerialism, relative to other recent pressures, drawing upon the literatures of organisation culture, strategy and labour process; and utilising new empirical research concerning academic careers, culture, change and security. Findings indicate that academic staff in new universities may be insulated from the effects of managerialism, albeit that this may vary between and within institutions. It speculates on whether the effects of large‐scale early retirement will have an impact on academic cultures through the ‘releasing’ of staff with old values and the ‘buying’ of replacements who have new values. Further, it argues that because the TSS changes affect only the new universities, the resultant changes may differentiate them from the pre‐1992 universities, making at least some of them more similar to the managerially focused further education sector, and reinforcing the binary divide within a supposedly unified university sector.     

Migration,disability and education: reflections from a special school in the east of England

Studies of migrant pupils in schools have paid little attention to people with special educational needs and/or disabilities, reflecting a broader normative ableism of existing scholarship. This article, based on a case study of a special school in the east of England, explores the perspectives of staff and new migrants on their experiences. The article exposes how migrant families’ interactions with schools were shaped both by their previous migration histories and current broader processes of ‘integration’. Teachers were empathetic and supportive, but it was the extended remit of the work of migrant and minority staff (including translation and wider caring roles) that proved particularly vital for families. We employ an intersectional approach to interpret these encounters, exposing the tensions and dilemmas arising. Further research is needed to develop understanding and critical engagement with the challenges facing these families, arising from the specific intersections of disability, migration, social class and gender.     

‘Responsibility in mobility’: international students and social responsibility

Enhancing the educational experience and social connectedness for international students is the responsibility of different involved parties among whom international students themselves and host institutions play a key role. However, the question of how the condition of cross-border mobility has shaped and re-shaped international students’ responsibility towards the home and host country and other social relationships that have been formed via their mobility experiences is often neglected. This paper examines the social nature of international students’ responsibility. It is derived from a research project funded by the Australian Research Council that includes fieldwork and semi-structured interviews with 155 staff and international students from 25 institutions in Australia over 4 years. Using positioning theory as a conceptual framework, the study shows that it is important to take into account the tangible aspects of transnational mobility in understanding international student responsibility rather than merely locating their responsibility in simple cultural, personal or institutional parameters. The study suggests the important roles of host institutions and community in creating conducive conditions and opportunities for international students to exercise responsibility as social members and intercultural learners. Enhancing student social responsibility and capacity for enacting responsibility is essential for nurturing meaningful transnational citizenship.     

Experiencing inclusion within a Northern Ireland secondary school: the perspectives of migrant students from four European countries

The article focuses upon a small‐scale research project undertaken in a Northern Ireland secondary school. Using a questionnaire, the article explores the views of a sample of young people from four European countries who are enrolled at the school, regarding the school's inclusive policy and associated practices. In recent years, Northern Ireland has experienced a significant increase in the number of migrant families that have settled in the province; this has presented schools with a challenge as to how their policies on inclusion are capable of embracing the needs of students with different cultural experiences and expectations. It is apparent that the school has made a considerable investment to provide a positive experience for these students. Likewise, it is evident that there are both financial and staff development implications associated with creating an inclusive school culture.     

服务业FDI对微观经济的影响——基于发展中东道国视角的理论分析

近年来,服务业FDI在发展中国家增长很快并受到广泛关注,其中最为关心的莫过于服务业FDI给东道国带来的经济影响。本文试图从服务业与制造业的差别的角度,从理论上分析服务业FDI给发展中东道国带来的微观经济影响和决定其收益大小的影响因素,并联系中国服务业发展的实际情况,提出中国引入服务业FDI过程中应注意的问题。     

国际资本流人中国银行部门动机变迁研究

中国近年来一直是国际资本流入最多的发展中国家,银行部门更是外资投入的热点。十几年来进入银行部门的外资不论是规模还是投资方式都发生了很大变化。动机决定行为,行为决定结果,只有充分了解外资为什么来,才能理解外资将会采取什么行动,造成什么影响?对此问题的研究将有助于决定对银行外资采取什么样的开放政策和引资策略。以外资进入中国银行部门的动机变迁为研究的中心,通过对1996-2008十三年来外资进入中国银行部门的历程和变化进行实证分析,发现传统理论认为的"客户追随"动机只在早期起主导作用,在中后期则是追求相对优势动机、追求东道国提供的市场机会动机、外资银行自身追求全球战略布局动机在不同程度上交替引导外资进入中国的银行部门,因此中国银行部门的开放政策也应作相应调整:鼓励外资进入中西部地区金融业比优先开放东部地区金融业对中国金融体系发展更有利;鼓励外资积极投入中小银行比鼓励外资参股大型银行对中国银行业的治理结构优化更有利。     

Educating rural migrant children in interior China: The promise and pitfall of low-fee private schools

Scholars disagree on the extent to which low-fee private schools can adequately supply education to poor children in developing countries. This article contributes to the debate with a qualitative study in the Chinese context where privatization of education intersects with rural-urban migration. Using grounded theory approach, I examine how these schools aid or hinder migrant children’s settlement and integration in the host city. Fieldwork in the country’s interior region reveals that migrant schools are oriented toward meeting the immediate needs of migrant families but at the cost of children’s future prospects. The conclusion discusses implications for equitable urbanization.     

公共财政支持新生代农民工进行资产建设的模式及运作机制研究

城镇化作为一个国家现代化进程中的重要发展阶段,是落后的农业国向现代工业国转变的必由之路。新生代农民工的市民化对推进城镇化具有重要作用。新生代农民工进行资产建设离不开资金的支持,文章立足于公共财政的视角,探讨了公共财政支持新生代农民工进行资产建设的模式及运作机制,希望对加快我国城镇化进程,提高城镇化质量,促进社会和谐等方面提供具有一定参考价值的理论和方法。     

浅谈农民工子女受教育权不平等问题

在改革开放进一步深化,社会主义市场经济得到了快速发展的同时．社会各种矛盾也有所凸显。其中．农民工子女入学难已经成为一个非常严峻的问题,包括受教育机会不平等、就学过程不平等。由于户籍的限制。农民工子女要想与城市子女上同一所学校,就必须通过多缴纳高昂的赞助费和借读费来实现。经济条件差的农民工子女只能就读于民办农民工子弟学校,而这些学校由于资金短缺,且不少学校办学以赢利为目的,办学条件相对较差,进一步加重了农民工的负担。尽管国家已经出台了相应政策,但形势依然严峻。     

河北省新生代农民工市民化问题实证研究——基于对保定市部分企业的调查

新生代农民工是我国产业工人中的重要生力军。促进新生代农民工市民化,是加快我国城镇化进程、构建社会主义和谐社会的迫切需要,更是广大新生代农民工的热切期盼。长期以来,受制度约束、经济条件、自身素质等方面的影响,广大新生代农民工一直处于游离城乡之间的尴尬境地。通过对新生代农民工城市生活现状及市民化过程中遇到障碍的调查分析,找出制约广大新生代农民工市民化的主要原因,并在此基础上提出推进河北省新生代农民工市民化进程的政策建议。     

试析农民工的从业困境与出路选择

农民工为城市的发展及繁荣做出了重要贡献,却不完全为城市所接纳,被隔绝于主流社会之外,其人身权益得不到充分保障。他们在城市从业中遭遇诸多困扰,难于获得社会的有益援手。正视农民工的从业困境与寻求农民工从业困局的破解之道,做好农民工的权益保障,不仅是顺应我国社会转型的客观要求,同时也是解决我国"三农"问题的关键所在。     

Teacher migration to Botswana: causes and implications for human resources management in education

Abstract

Botswana has been a host country to migrant teachers from various countries and regions of the world for many years. This paper reports on the migration motives that prompted teachers from four countries to move to Botswana to work in junior and senior secondary schools, and their attitudes towards human resource management (HRM) policies and practices in these schools. The teachers completed an 87-item questionnaire which measured four dimensions of migration push-pull factors, and HRM policy and practice issues. Multiple factors were revealed, linked to economic issues, personal circumstances, community and school-related conditions in both the home and host countries. However, the influence of each factor is related to migrants’ gender and countries of origin. As a follow-up to the above, a small, qualitative investigation was conducted. The reactions of five Botswana school managers to the HRM issues raised in the first phase were investigated by means of interviews. The results reveal the unique challenges of a diversified workforce for HRM in these schools.