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.     

Cultural capital,habitus and reading futures: middle-class adolescent students’ cultivation of reading dispositions in Singapore

Abstract

The acquisition of cultural capital can only be understood in the light of the formation of habitus, including the socialisation process, and in the context of the field in which any such capital has value. Yet, the relation between cultural capital and habitus is seldom discussed in research. Drawing on the data from focus groups with 96 students and a survey of 5,779 students from six Singapore secondary schools, we analyze how reading as a form of cultural capital is distributed among High-SES, Mid-SES and Low-SES students in Singapore. We show how middle-class practices of intensive immersion in school-valued reading practices is a form of habitus that prepare some students better than others for engaged reading. The findings highlight how reading as a form of cultural capital is operationalized through students’ familial habitus and argues that making visible familial habitus provides insights for transforming institutional habitus for students’ reading futures.     

Mainland Chinese students at an elite Hong Kong university: habitus–field disjuncture in a transborder context

Drawing on in-depth interview data from 31 mainland Chinese (MLC) students in a Hong Kong university, this article conceptualises MLC and Hong Kong higher education as two dissonant but interrelated subfields of the Chinese higher education field. The article argues that these MLC students’ habitus, one that possesses rich economic, social and cultural capital, prompts a strong sense of entitlement to anticipated privileges. However, this sense of entitlement is disrupted by the differential capital valuations across these fields. There is thus notable habitus–field disjuncture, which, exacerbated by the hysteresis effect, gives rise to a sense of disappointment and ambivalence. This article demonstrates how the Hong Kong education credential, which these students initially set out to pursue as a form of capital, can become a disadvantage at multiple levels; the article illustrates that capital valuation and conversion in a transborder context is not a straightforward, but rather a complicated and sometimes contradictory, process.     

Becoming an IT Person: Field, Habitus and Capital in the Transition from University to Work

Transitions from university study to graduate work in new industries such as information technology (IT) are not well understood. As the IT industry is a significant recruiter of graduates and an important component of the UK economy, the transition into the IT profession needs to be understood better. In addition, understanding the transition into IT work may contribute to a broader understanding of transitions in the new industries more generally. We focus on three cases selected from a broader longitudinal project and take as our starting point graduates’ perspectives on their transitions. We use Bourdieu’s conceptions of field, habitus and capital to move beyond existing policy discourses which tend to concentrate exclusively on the qualities of graduates. Specifically, we argue that, to understand transitions we need to focus on the work and the organisational context (field), the habitus of the individual making the transition, and the resources (capital) that individuals may deploy. That is, individual transitions are better understood by considering field, habitus and capital and the interactions between them.     

Intended Consequences: Challenging White Teachers’ Habitus and Its Influence in Urban Schools Implementing an Arts-Based Educational Reform

Reform efforts like the urban, arts-based initiative Project ARTS are designed to provide intentional, equitable methods of improving students’ learning, yet few urban educators have been sufficiently trained to recognize differences in habitus between themselves and their students. For equitable reform to occur teachers must understand their own habitus and the habitus-forming experiences of their students. In this paper, we analyze qualitative project data using Bourdieu’s theoretical concepts of cultural capital, field, habitus, symbolic violence and misrecognition to explore teachers’ and students’ experiences in order to determine the extent to which power and privilege begin to be challenged within participating schools. We explore the ways in which teacher habitus has shifted to recognize, include or become empathetic to student habitus as a result of Project ARTS curricula, co-teaching and professional development while also considering the possibility the program produces unintended consequences at odds with the project’s mission: reproducing the status quo by advancing the cultural capital of teachers rather than that of students. Finding markedly fewer teacher narratives confirming the social reproduction of inequitable power relationships than when the project began, we conclude by discussing the transformation of teacher habitus, student outcomes, and school climate after 5 years of Project ARTS participation, proposing implications for urban teachers and leaders, their communities, and policymakers intent upon implementing equitable educational reform and the social transformation reform intends.     

‘Some people might say I'm thriving but … ’: non-traditional students' experiences of university

The expansion of neo-liberal policies' framing higher education has contributed to an increase in participation rates of students from non-traditional backgrounds. While an increase of a wider range of students might be seen as contributing to a more just and equitable higher education system, research has shown that broadening entry points does not necessarily ensure inclusion or positive experience for these students. This research investigated the experiences of first in family, rural and international students as they transitioned into their first year of university. Focus group interviews and surveys were used to collect data. Using Bourdieu's theory of field, habitus and capital as well as Weiss's dimensions of loneliness findings illuminate a number of poignant experiences for non-traditional students. We suggest that facilitating the transition for non-traditional students might require a cultural change by universities and a move away from the notion that the students need to ‘adapt’ to university. Rather, the evolving university might provide for increasingly diverse student cohorts by embracing their habitus and unique features.     

“Floating elites”: interpreting mainland Chinese undergraduates’ graduation plans in Hong Kong

Cross-border student migration has significant implications for host communities in terms of academic, financial and social consequences. In light of Hong Kong’s thirst for human resources, this paper reports on a study that interpreted the graduation plans of a group of “elite” mainland Chinese undergraduates in a publicly funded university. To fully appreciate the complexity of the participants’ graduation plans, the study examined their perceived behavioural control, attitudes towards the students remaining in Hong Kong upon graduation and subjective norms as mediated by socio-contextual conditions. The analysis revealed the participants’ ambivalent attitudes towards Hong Kong in their careers and life pursuits beyond graduation; most of them regarded it as a transition point rather than a destination for their adventures. These findings suggest that the participants had developed intercultural personhoods and regarded educational efforts as a means to acquire cultural capital for their transnational aspirations. They highlight the necessity for institutions and governments to foster and sustain close ties between cross-border students, as represented by the participants of this study, and local students. These efforts will not only develop local students’ intercultural competence but they also help these globally mobile students acquire social capital locally, which facilitates their smooth integration into host communities and encourages them contribute to the communities as part of their globally expanding social networks.     

高校“空巢一族”生成原因分析——基于场域理论

在高等教育大众化背景下,高校出现了以毕业班学生为主体的“空巢一族”。基于布迪厄场域理论,探析大学场域内“空巢一族”的生成原因有三：一是源于学生对劝利化的文化、社会、经济资本的追求,二是惯习更迭下“空巢一族”的实践与信念发生了背离,三也不乏一些一味消耗自身资本的情况。“空巢一族”对学生和高校的长远发展都是不利的,为了“瓦解这支队伍”,高校与学生双方需要做出理性批判,付诸理性实践。     

Bridging the gap: supporting student transitions into higher education

This research focused on the early experience of students entering an undergraduate course in a post‐1992 university that is committed to widening participation. Using Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital and habitus as a theoretical framework, data were collected from students using an online questionnaire and small‐group discussions during the critical first days and weeks when they need to fit in to their new environment. The research was designed to consider whether there is a ‘new student’ in higher education (HE) and to consider the possible influence of cultural capital and habitus on a student’s transition. Data were collected using an online questionnaire with a response rate of 52% (n=180), and this was followed up with five small‐group discussions with 25 of the respondents. Participants self‐selected to take part in the small‐group discussions but the sample did reflect the cohort in relation to ethnicity, age and gender. The data collected from the questionnaire provided a snapshot of the students’ early experience within the university, and data from the small‐group discussions were used to triangulate this and allow emerging themes to be explored in greater depth. The results showed that the majority of the students (70%) were combining work with study and most students spent a minimal amount of time on campus, perhaps supporting the concept that there is a ‘new student’ in HE. Perceptions about their transition varied, but most of the students expressed concern about the perceived need to be an independent learner. Students stated that they needed more structured activities on campus to encourage them to fit in, and more support from academic staff, with clear instructions about what was expected.     

Local university students and intercultural interactions: conceptualising culture,seeing diversity and experiencing interactions

This paper examines the intercultural interaction experiences of local, first-year students (n?=?25) in their first few weeks at university. The focus on local students complements existing intercultural interaction literature, which has tended to concentrate on the experience of the ‘cultural other’ student. Employing qualitative analysis, the study revealed relationships between how students conceptualise culture, see diversity and experience their initial intercultural interactions on campus. A link between students' cultural backgrounds and the depth of their intercultural interaction experiences emerged.     

Rural dispositions of floating children within the field of Beijing schools: can disadvantaged rural habitus turn into recognised cultural capital?

The rapid pace of urbanisation in China has seen a massive increase in the movement of the rural population to work and live in urban regions. In this large-scale migration context, the educational, health, and psychological problems of floating children are becoming increasingly visible. Different from extant studies, we focus our investigation on the rural dispositions of floating children through interviews with leaders, teachers, and students in four schools in Beijing. Drawing on Bourdieu’s key notions of habitus, capital, and field, our study indicates that the rural habitus of floating children can differentiate these children from their urban peers. This habitus can be marginalised and stigmatised in certain fields but can be recognised and valued as capital in other fields. Our paper offers some implications for research and practice in relation to the schooling of floating children.     

Employability,managerialism, and performativity in higher education: a relational perspective

This article combines Bourdieu’s concepts of field, habitus and cultural capital with Lyotard’s account of performativity to construct a three-tiered framework in order to explore how managerialism has affected the academic habitus. Specifically, this article examines the adoption of group assignments as a means of developing teamwork skills in one Australian case study organisation. On a macrolevel, by viewing the employability imperative as one manifestation of managerialism in the higher education field, we argue that managerialism has created a performative culture in the case study organisation evidenced by an increasing emphasis on performance indicators. On a mesolevel, by examining how academics use group assessments to respond to demands made by governments and employers for ‘employable graduates’, we highlight the continuity of academic habitus. Finally, on a microlevel by drawing on alumni reflections regarding their experiences of group assessments at university, we are able to shed some light on their evaluation of this pedagogical tool.     

Rural Undergraduates at Elite Universities: Learning Experience and Identity

Abstract

The decline in the proportion of rural students at major universities has caused widespread social concern. Special enrollment programs in recent years have increased the proportion somewhat. However, the situation at elite universities in China’s transition period is different than before. There are few studies addressing the learning experiences of rural students in the new period. This study uses qualitative methods to research 32 case studies of rural undergraduates at four elite universities in Shanghai. Based on Bourdieu’s concepts of capital, field, and habitus, this study finds a mismatch between the habitus of respondents and that of elite universities, which leads to an awkward initial school experience. In accordance with the operating logic of the academic field, they are able to achieve an increase in cultural capital by virtue of their own efforts. This complex class experience also has a far-reaching impact on identity through the individual’s response to their own emotions. This conflicted identity is expressed as feeling like either a “country bumpkin” in the big city or a “city person” from the country.     

Missing intercultural engagements in the university experiences of Chinese international students in the UK

This paper looks at structural conditions or institutional arrangements that facilitate or hinder interactions for international students. Drawing on the contact and diversity theory, analyses compare Chinese students’ intercultural experience in business and non-business schools in one UK university and explore how these students interpret the meaning of quality intercultural contact based on their responses to the social environment around them. Findings indicate that the overwhelming number of Chinese students, particularly in business schools, combined with obstacles these students face in establishing intercultural contact around the university potentially motivates them to explore engagement with a wider host society (e.g. Christian churches). The denial of intercultural contact due to a lack of diverse environment may lead to inequality in opportunities for cross-cultural learning and personal growth. High quality intercultural contact is not only beneficial to international students, it also enhances the intercultural competency of native students in the global market place.     

Learning Approaches in the Architectural Education and the Role of Students’ Habitus: Case Study Pakistan

This study seeks to explore the impact of social upbringing on architectural learning. The theory of “habitus” helps to understand how students’ personality dispositions might affect the way they approach learning in the “field” of architectural education. The notions of learning approaches and knowledge codes in literature are used to develop a framework for the study that helps to explore the field of architectural education. It is a qualitative study, conducted through semi-structured interviews with 44 students in 10 architecture schools in Pakistan. Interviews explored students’ habitus as well as their learning approaches, later explored through the framework developed in the study. Interviews are transcribed and coded using Nvivo 12. A detailed analysis explores the connection between habitus and learning approaches and finds out that habitus plays a major role in determining the way students approach learning in Architecture, with most cultivated habitus students showing a deep learning approach.     

Learning intercultural communication through group work oriented to the world beyond the classroom

Competence in intercultural communication has become a necessity for functioning effectively in our increasingly globalised and multicultural society. This study reports the use of a group project to enhance students’ learning of intercultural communication. Participants were from a large undergraduate class in an Australian university. The aim of the course is to encourage students to develop knowledge of intercultural communication by orienting themselves to the world beyond the classroom, and by learning from each other’s experiences and perspectives. In a group project assignment, students used the knowledge and skills gained in class to resolve practical problems that they encountered in intercultural interactions outside the classroom. This paper focused on students’ experience of working in groups, and links between this experience and performance on the group project. Our study confirms previous research that demonstrates active engagement in group work can enhance learning outcomes. It also goes further in showing that groups that more highly rated their learning of intercultural communication through the group work experience obtained higher grades on the project.     

Mobile Chinese students navigating between fields: (Trans)forming habitus in transnational articulation programmes?

Abstract

Transnational articulation programmes are one way China is attempting to advance its higher education (HE) system. We report a study of twelve Chinese students’ experiences in two China-Australia 2?+?2 articulation programmes. In our analysis of semi-structured interviews, we use Bourdieu’s concepts of field and habitus to understand the impact on the habitus of the students. We report the experiences of the Chinese students in the HE sub-field in Australia. Students were like fish in water with the logics of practice of Chinese HE. In the new sub-field of HE in Australia, their habitus was out of place. This field/habitus mismatch created a field-habitus dissonance that can be productive of change to the habitus. Some in the study strategised to overcome this field-habitus mismatch and to adjust to the logics of the new field. We designate this emergent habitus as an in-between, diasporic cosmopolitan habitus, while others were able to ‘compartmentalise’ the demands of the new field, indicating durability of habitus.     

On becoming a doctoral student: Chinese doctoral students’ socialization of capital and habitus in academia

Abstract

This study examines Chinese international doctoral students’ academic socialization into TESOL discourses and communities. Rooted in the academic discourse socialization theory, complemented by the notions of Lave and Wenger’s community of practice, and Bourdieu’s capital, habitus, and field, this longitudinal multiple-case study suggest the focal participants’ academic discourse socialization is mediated by their participation in communities of practice, different forms of capital, and habitus in exerting agency. The participants are socialized into academic discourses and communities through their interactions with more experienced colleagues. By participating in the communities of practice, the focal students gain different forms of capital and experience different degrees of competence and memberships. However, due to the inequitable power relations in the TESOL doctoral program field, each participant is socialized to varying levels of central, peripheral, and marginal participation. This study concludes by providing suggestions for action to be taken by university advisors, instructors, and administrators.     

从布迪厄的资本理论看“问题学生”的生成

在我国,“问题学生”是在家庭、学校、社会等关系网络中被建构生成的,体现出复杂性、关系性等特征。本研究运用布迪厄的资本理论,阐释了“问题学生”是由于教育资本分配不均造成的,且惯习又使得“问题学生”的处境处于进一步恶化的过程中。     

公开课场域下教师教学惯习形成探讨

“表演”“作秀”被认为有损于公开课的价值取向,回归真实课堂便成为相关研究关注的焦点。事实上,公开课有别于日常教学,具有特殊的场域逻辑和行为惯习。以重庆市Y区优质课大赛为例,从时间、空间、人物三个维度分析公开课活动现场,发现三者皆具备剧场要素特质,形成了公开课的剧场效应。公开课场域具有逻辑独特性、资本竞争性、结构稳定性,参与者的“期待”是场域的核心。因此公开课场域养成了教师独有的教学惯习,体现出公开课上教师行为的自觉性与合理性。