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MelbourneMelbourne

July 2010July 2010

Negotiation of identity Negotiation of identity in a multicultural in a multicultural settingsetting•An exploration of the forming An exploration of the forming of identities for students at of identities for students at an international school in an international school in ChinaChina

•Features a highly transient Features a highly transient expatriate populationexpatriate population

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MethodologyMethodology

•The ethnographic interview The ethnographic interview (Spradley 1979)(Spradley 1979)

•Locate researcher in Locate researcher in participants’ worldparticipants’ world

•Repeated interviewsRepeated interviews

•4 rounds 4 rounds

•Participants as researchersParticipants as researchers

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Four roundsFour rounds

•Round 1: open topicsRound 1: open topics

•Round 2: participants asked to Round 2: participants asked to respond to the analysis of their respond to the analysis of their first interviewfirst interview

•Round 3: participants asked to Round 3: participants asked to respond to general findings from respond to general findings from all participantsall participants

•Round 4: participants asked to Round 4: participants asked to respond to emerging hypothesesrespond to emerging hypotheses

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Issues raised by Issues raised by participantsparticipants• Cultural clashesCultural clashes• FriendshipFriendship• IBOIBO• IdentityIdentity• International LifeInternational Life• International schoolInternational school• Internationalism or GlobalisationInternationalism or Globalisation• LanguageLanguage• Third culture kidsThird culture kids• Transient lifeTransient life

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The settingThe setting

•International School in ChinaInternational School in China

•Student data: nationalities and Student data: nationalities and agesages

•Teachers’ nationalities and Teachers’ nationalities and length of servicelength of service

•Turn over ratesTurn over rates

77

Number

17, 25%

1, 1%

2, 3%

21, 31%

2, 3%

3, 4%

1, 1%

1, 1%

1, 1%

3, 4%

1, 1%

4, 6%

8, 12%

5, 7%

Australia

Burkina Faso

Canada

China

Germany

Holland

Ireland

Israel 

Korea

New Zealand

Poland

South Africa

UK

USA

88

Number

29

5413321

13

48

9 9 5

170

643123811

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Argentina

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Brazil

Canada

China (HK)

China (Taiwan)

Finland

France

Germany

Holland

Italy

Japan

Korea

Malaysia

New Zealand

Singapore

Slovenia

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

UK

USA

99

Average time at the Average time at the schoolschool

•Teachers (overseas hire) - 2.58 Teachers (overseas hire) - 2.58 yearsyears

•Students - 2.1 yearsStudents - 2.1 years

Negotiation of identity Negotiation of identity in a multicultural in a multicultural settingsetting•What are the different factors What are the different factors and influences as identified by and influences as identified by the participants?the participants?

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•““where are you from?”where are you from?”

•““I feel more German here”I feel more German here”

•““A changing beast” and a A changing beast” and a “mishmash”“mishmash”

•““people are constantly coming people are constantly coming and going”and going”

•““lots of my friends just leave”lots of my friends just leave”

•““keeping people at arm’s length”keeping people at arm’s length”

•Negotiated friendship by timeNegotiated friendship by time

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•‘‘I think China is home now, I think China is home now, because in Italy I don’t have any because in Italy I don’t have any friends my age. Now I feel that friends my age. Now I feel that China is my home. I have all my China is my home. I have all my affections here, I have all my affections here, I have all my family here except [brother], I family here except [brother], I have all my best friends are here, have all my best friends are here, all my interests are in China, so all my interests are in China, so when I say I want to go home, I when I say I want to go home, I refer to China and not Italy, when refer to China and not Italy, when I go to Italy it’s more like a I go to Italy it’s more like a vacation to me because we always vacation to me because we always go there for Christmas and summer go there for Christmas and summer vacation’vacation’

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Returning home ItalyReturning home Italy

• ‘…‘…and they also admire me because I and they also admire me because I speak another language -and my vision speak another language -and my vision about the cultures and about the word in about the cultures and about the word in general is probably wider than they general is probably wider than they have, so – I think when they look at me have, so – I think when they look at me they ask me a lot about China because I they ask me a lot about China because I think they are really interested about think they are really interested about the culture, they ask me to do their the culture, they ask me to do their English homework and all that, so I English homework and all that, so I think they kind of see me with a think they kind of see me with a different light’ different light’

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Returning home KoreaReturning home Korea

•‘‘It’s kind of embarrassing to say I It’s kind of embarrassing to say I am living in China because – like am living in China because – like Korea they ignore Chinese because - Korea they ignore Chinese because - I don’t know the reason but they I don’t know the reason but they ignore Chinese –so when you say I’m ignore Chinese –so when you say I’m living in China it will be a living in China it will be a disadvantage to live in Korea, disadvantage to live in Korea, sometimes they ignore us or bully sometimes they ignore us or bully us, yeah it’s kind of embarrassing’us, yeah it’s kind of embarrassing’

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Transient lifestyleTransient lifestyle

•‘…‘…not wanting too deep not wanting too deep friendships when you know that friendships when you know that someone is going to leave in two someone is going to leave in two years and even if you tell years and even if you tell yourself you are not doing that, yourself you are not doing that, probably sub-consciously we are probably sub-consciously we are doing that, you are keeping doing that, you are keeping people at arm’s length’ -people at arm’s length’ -

•you realise that nothing is you realise that nothing is lasting here, friendships and lasting here, friendships and housing and schooling, it’s all housing and schooling, it’s all a little bit insecure, next year a little bit insecure, next year it could be different or gone, I it could be different or gone, I don’t know, we have moved house don’t know, we have moved house I think six or seven times - I think six or seven times - it’s not scary as such, it’s it’s not scary as such, it’s just a little bit - it’s always just a little bit - it’s always something that is unknown, it is something that is unknown, it is always changing constantlyalways changing constantly

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The BubbleThe Bubble

•Reports of expatriate children Reports of expatriate children with no previous experience of with no previous experience of the host country developing the host country developing negative attitudesnegative attitudes

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• I think if you bring up children in the I think if you bring up children in the bubble they will have - feel less need bubble they will have - feel less need to adapt to Chinese culture, they will to adapt to Chinese culture, they will feel more to - preserve or show European feel more to - preserve or show European or other country identity rather than or other country identity rather than showing they actually came from China - showing they actually came from China - and I also, I think it gives then a bad and I also, I think it gives then a bad view of China because it separates them view of China because it separates them from China so they probably have, when from China so they probably have, when they come back to their home country and they come back to their home country and people ask them ‘how is China?’ and they people ask them ‘how is China?’ and they say ‘fine’ but then they can’t say say ‘fine’ but then they can’t say anything else because they have never anything else because they have never actually been to real China so they actually been to real China so they never know, so probably Discovery never know, so probably Discovery Channel can tell them more about China Channel can tell them more about China than if they go outside and lookthan if they go outside and look

•I actually agree with your idea I actually agree with your idea of bubble - I think this is a of bubble - I think this is a good opportunity to experience good opportunity to experience China or the other Western China or the other Western style of life but most Korean style of life but most Korean students do not want to involve students do not want to involve in China culture and China in China culture and China people altogetherpeople altogether

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Students negotiate Students negotiate identityidentity

•I feel like I have to show I am I feel like I have to show I am Korean so you feel more Korean so you feel more pressure, you think you have to pressure, you think you have to show it more clearlyshow it more clearly

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•I am more Korean when I am in a I am more Korean when I am in a foreign country because if I foreign country because if I was in Korea I wouldn’t wear was in Korea I wouldn’t wear those formal Korean traditional those formal Korean traditional clothes at all but because I am clothes at all but because I am in international school I go in international school I go there and I am in a foreign there and I am in a foreign country and I do thatcountry and I do that . .

2222

•I’d say I feel more German here I’d say I feel more German here because - erm - because you because - erm - because you don’t realise the German aspect don’t realise the German aspect of your own personal culture if of your own personal culture if you, when you are in Germany you, when you are in Germany because everybody there is because everybody there is German and they all do the German and they all do the German things and when you are German things and when you are here - it’s - I don’t know, here here - it’s - I don’t know, here you can explain to people if you you can explain to people if you are talking to people about your are talking to people about your home country’s cultural aspectshome country’s cultural aspects

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•you begin to see your own you begin to see your own country differently, see country differently, see yourself differentlyyourself differently

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•it is sort of like a sub-culture it is sort of like a sub-culture I am used to which is just like I am used to which is just like a small group of international a small group of international expats I guess, who are really expats I guess, who are really part of this culture inside part of this culture inside another culture - it’s a little another culture - it’s a little bit hard to describe - we are bit hard to describe - we are sort of creating - it’s like we sort of creating - it’s like we are bringing our culture over are bringing our culture over here, it changes a lot and here, it changes a lot and brings other elements into itbrings other elements into it

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•you know Germans are very you know Germans are very direct speaking and you can lay direct speaking and you can lay something on the line to them something on the line to them and they are absolutely not and they are absolutely not insulted, but not fellow Brits insulted, but not fellow Brits I often notice, and I’ve become I often notice, and I’ve become very direct after so many years very direct after so many years and when I go back to Scotland and when I go back to Scotland I know I have to tone it down I know I have to tone it down quite a bitquite a bit

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•these people are afraid because these people are afraid because the country is so different, so the country is so different, so alienalien

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ConflictConflict

•you don’t get to understand what you don’t get to understand what the others are talking about and the others are talking about and it forms a different culture in it forms a different culture in the whole school, it just a the whole school, it just a different part of a group of different part of a group of people who are Koreans, and the people who are Koreans, and the other are just ‘oh they are other are just ‘oh they are Koreans and they are talking Koreans and they are talking Korean all the time’ I hate thatKorean all the time’ I hate that

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•they have left their home for they have left their home for the first time and feel more at the first time and feel more at home with people from their home with people from their country, they find it simply country, they find it simply easier to talk to people who easier to talk to people who have had the same experience have had the same experience and find it easier to have a and find it easier to have a conversation with people who conversation with people who can relate back to the same can relate back to the same things in their childhood things in their childhood

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•H H -some kids just hate foreigners -some kids just hate foreigners and some foreigner just hate Koreans and some foreigner just hate Koreans and this relationship doesn’t get and this relationship doesn’t get betterbetter

•PH -when you say ‘foreigners’, who PH -when you say ‘foreigners’, who are the foreigners?are the foreigners?

•H H - people who are not – erm- people who are not – erm --people who are not, if you are people who are not, if you are Korean, if that is your nationality Korean, if that is your nationality then it is everybody else [laughs]then it is everybody else [laughs]

•PH -so people who are not Korean are PH -so people who are not Korean are the foreigners?the foreigners?

•H H [laughs] they are all foreigners[laughs] they are all foreigners

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•the Korean’s problem is the the Korean’s problem is the students, they just want to students, they just want to play with Koreans, if play with Koreans, if [daughter] want to include in [daughter] want to include in Korean group, club, she can’t Korean group, club, she can’t play with the Westerner, that’s play with the Westerner, that’s the problem and that is very the problem and that is very strong and really difficult, strong and really difficult, with Korean group, and they say with Korean group, and they say ‘you need to choose, Korean or ‘you need to choose, Korean or other group’ other group’

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•Various forms of cultural Various forms of cultural dissonance (Allan 2002, 2003, dissonance (Allan 2002, 2003, Drake 2004, Poore 2005) were Drake 2004, Poore 2005) were evident; between parents’ evident; between parents’ expectations of a school and the expectations of a school and the IBO curriculum, between the IBO curriculum, between the Korean community and the Anglo-Korean community and the Anglo-American dominated school American dominated school culture, between Koreans and non-culture, between Koreans and non-Koreans and finally within the Koreans and finally within the Korean community, where peer Korean community, where peer pressure is on Korean students to pressure is on Korean students to stay in home-country groups only. stay in home-country groups only.

•New arrivals are effectively New arrivals are effectively separated into one of two camps separated into one of two camps due to language and social due to language and social barriers and by ‘self’ and barriers and by ‘self’ and ‘other’ ascription (Byram ‘other’ ascription (Byram 2003). 2003).

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FindingsFindings

•Participants reported they Participants reported they created new identitiescreated new identities

•Participants reported developing Participants reported developing dual identitiesdual identities

•They developed ‘international’ They developed ‘international’ identities but and at the same identities but and at the same time experienced a reinforcement time experienced a reinforcement of their national identities of their national identities

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FindingsFindings

•The results indicate that in TIS, The results indicate that in TIS, dissonance is intense and dissonance is intense and counterproductive to the school’s counterproductive to the school’s aim “to develop inquiring, aim “to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and intercultural understanding and respect” (IBO Mission Statement). respect” (IBO Mission Statement).

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Literature EthnographyLiterature Ethnography

• Spradley, J. (1979) Spradley, J. (1979) The Ethnographic The Ethnographic Interview.Interview. Wadsworth Thomson Learning Wadsworth Thomson Learning

• Hammersley, M. (1992) Hammersley, M. (1992) What’s Wrong with What’s Wrong with EthnographyEthnography? Routledge.? Routledge.

• Hammersley, M. (1998) Hammersley, M. (1998) Reading Reading Ethnographic Research: A Critical GuideEthnographic Research: A Critical Guide. . Harlow: LongmanHarlow: Longman

• Pole, C., and Morrison, M. (2003) Pole, C., and Morrison, M. (2003) Ethnography for EducationEthnography for Education. Open . Open University Press University Press

• Coffey, A., and Atkinson, P. (1996) Coffey, A., and Atkinson, P. (1996) Making Sense of Qualitative Data.Making Sense of Qualitative Data. SAGE SAGE publicationspublications

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Literature Literature International SchoolsInternational Schools• Cambridge, J. (2002 b) Cambridge, J. (2002 b) Identifying the Globalist Identifying the Globalist and Internationalist Missions of International and Internationalist Missions of International Schools. Schools. International Schools Journal (December International Schools Journal (December 2002)2002)

• Cambridge, J. and Thompson, J. (2004) Cambridge, J. and Thompson, J. (2004) Internationalism and globalization as contexts for Internationalism and globalization as contexts for international education, international education, Compare, Vol. 34, No. 2.Compare, Vol. 34, No. 2.

• Hayden M., Rancic B. and Thompson J. (2000) Hayden M., Rancic B. and Thompson J. (2000) Being Being International: student and teacher perceptions from International: student and teacher perceptions from international schools. international schools. Oxford Review of Education, Oxford Review of Education, Vol. 26, No. 1.Vol. 26, No. 1.

• Hayden, M., Thompson, J. and Williams, G. (2003) Hayden, M., Thompson, J. and Williams, G. (2003) Students perceptions of international educationStudents perceptions of international education. . Journal of Research in International Education. Journal of Research in International Education. Vol. 2, No 2.Vol. 2, No 2.

• Hinrichs, J. (2003) Hinrichs, J. (2003) A comparison of levels of A comparison of levels of international understanding among students of the international understanding among students of the International Baccalaureate diploma and the Advance International Baccalaureate diploma and the Advance Placement programs in the USA.Placement programs in the USA. Journal of Research Journal of Research in International Education. Vol. 2, No 3.in International Education. Vol. 2, No 3.

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Literature TCKLiterature TCK

• Bell, L. (1997) Bell, L. (1997) Hidden Immigrants, Legacies of Hidden Immigrants, Legacies of Growing Up AbroadGrowing Up Abroad, Cross Cultural Publications, Inc., Cross Cultural Publications, Inc.

• Fail, H., Thompson, J. and Walker, G. (2004) Fail, H., Thompson, J. and Walker, G. (2004) Belonging, identity and Third Culture Kids Life Belonging, identity and Third Culture Kids Life histories of former international school studentshistories of former international school students. . Journal of Research in International Education. Vol. Journal of Research in International Education. Vol. 3, No 3.3, No 3.

• Mills, J. (2001) Mills, J. (2001) Being Bilingual: Perspectives of Being Bilingual: Perspectives of Third Generation Asian Children on Language, Culture Third Generation Asian Children on Language, Culture and Identityand Identity. International Journal of Bilingual . International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism Vol. 4, No. 6.Education and Bilingualism Vol. 4, No. 6.

• Pavlenko, A. and Blackledge, A., (editors) (2004) Pavlenko, A. and Blackledge, A., (editors) (2004) Negotiation of Identities in Multilingual Contexts.Negotiation of Identities in Multilingual Contexts. Clevedon, Multilingual Matters.Clevedon, Multilingual Matters.

• Pollock, D. and Van Reken, R. (1999) Pollock, D. and Van Reken, R. (1999) Third Culture Third Culture Kids.Kids. Nicholas Brealey Publishing. Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

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Literature Cultural Literature Cultural DissonanceDissonance• Allan, M. (2002) Allan, M. (2002) Cultural Borderlands: A Cultural Borderlands: A case study of cultural dissonance in an case study of cultural dissonance in an international school.international school. Journal of Research Journal of Research in International Education. Vol. 1, No.1.in International Education. Vol. 1, No.1.

• Drake, B. (2004) Drake, B. (2004) International education International education and IB programmes: Worldwide expansion and and IB programmes: Worldwide expansion and potential cultural dissonance.potential cultural dissonance. Journal of Journal of Research in International Education. Vol. Research in International Education. Vol. 3, No. 2.3, No. 2.

• Byram, M. (2003). On Being ‘Bicultural’ and Byram, M. (2003). On Being ‘Bicultural’ and ‘Intercultural’. In G. Alfred, M. Byram and ‘Intercultural’. In G. Alfred, M. Byram and M. Fleming (eds) M. Fleming (eds) Intercultural Experience Intercultural Experience and Education.and Education. Clevedon: Multilingual Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.Matters.