The normative biography: international higher education fever among China's middle-class families

Journal article

This paper explores the international higher education (IHE) fever gripping China's middle-class families. Drawing on data gathered from 69 qualitative interviews with Chinese middle-class international students whose education is financially supported by their families, the paper points out that the desire for IHE is influenced by the pursuit of the “normative biography,” a term conceptualized by the authors to refer to the societal expectations that prescribe the specific life milestones and sequences that young middle-class adults should follow on their life trajectories. IHE is perceived as an important pathway to help such young adults meet these social expectations. Moreover, parental support for IHE is not only an educational investment but also assists offspring in conforming to the normative biography. This paper enriches the understanding of how educational practices are influenced by broader sociocultural contexts in contemporary China.

这篇论文探讨中国中产阶级家庭的国际高等教育热。通过定性访谈的方式，本研究采访了69 位来自中国大陆中产阶级的自费留学生。本文指出，国际高等教育热受到了“规范性人生”的影响：这个术语由作者构建，以指代社会期望和规定的中产阶级青年在生活轨迹中应该遵循的人生目标及其顺序。作者指出，国际教育被中产阶级家庭认为是可以帮助青年满足规范性人生的捷径。此外，文章还指出父母对国际教育的支持不仅是被视为教育投资，还是其子女完成规范性人生的重要助力。因此，这篇论文丰富了对当代中国教育实践如何受到更广泛的社会文化影响的理解。

Authors: Wang, Z; Hu, X

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Journal: The China Quarterly
• Volume: 261
• Pages: 146-161
• Publication date: 2024-12-02
• DOI: 10.1017/s0305741024001474
• EISSN: 1468-2648
• ISSN: 0009-4439
• Language: English, Chinese
• Keywords: international higher education fever; Chinese international students; middle class; modernity; intergenerational; the normative biography; 国际高等教育热; 中国留学生; 中产阶级; 现代性; 代际性; 规范性人生