“Home Is Where I Stand”: A Comparative Study of Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism Among Chinese Students in the United States and China Restricted; Files Only
Guo, Weirong (Summer 2023)
Abstract
Drawing on over 100 in-depth interviews with students across three universities in the U.S. and China as well as text analysis of U.S. newspaper articles, this dissertation explores how Chinese youth make sense of their relationship with China and the world by focusing on their talk of nationalism and cosmopolitanism. The dissertation reveals that nationalism among Chinese students is characterized by contradictory talk swinging between being loyal and critical, and inconsistency between words and actions—expressing love for one’s country but not personally contributing to its welfare. In contrast, talk of cosmopolitanism is more coherent and its practice is more aligned with the proclaimed values. Extreme nationalism is only triggered during unsettled times, when students must deploy justification discourses to reconcile their patriotism with undeniable governmental misconduct and reverify their patriotic selves. During settled times, when such justifications are not required, patriotism is often manifested in trivial and routine actions. On the contrary, for Chinese students embracing cosmopolitanism, being Chinese reflects the objective “me” in other people’s eyes, whereas being cosmopolitan is the subjective “I” that they claim and achieve for themselves. I identify two types of cosmopolitan identities: Kantian and Stoic cosmopolitanism. Kantian cosmopolitanism values global perspectives while being locally grounded and promoting collective moral activism. Stoic cosmopolitanism is more introspective and refrains from creating meaningful connections for fear of compromising independence. The factors influencing this differentiation and its implications are discussed. Lastly, the study explores the global and local processes contributing to Chinese students’ political avoidance in public, even when they are beyond the authoritarian state’s reach and are vocal in private. This dissertation sheds new light on the intertwined relationships between nationalism and cosmopolitanism and emphasizes the equal importance of both. Empirically, this study provides an alternative way of understanding the presence of Chinese international students in the U.S. and its implications for both U.S. and Chinese societies.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION… 1
Prologue... 1
Empirical Motivations... 2
Theoretical Framework... 6
Data and Methods... 12
U.S. Media Portrayals of Chinese (International) Students, 1980-2022... 18
Reflections on Positionality... 22
Overview of Chapters... 23
Tables and Figures... 27
CHAPTER TWO: PATRIOTISM IN ACTION AND NATIONALISM IN DISCOURSE… 34
Introduction... 34
Nationalism: High- or Low-profile... 35
Patriotism: How Is It Different from Nationalism… 36
Transnational Experience and Nationalism… 41
Patriotism in Action... 43
Nationalism in Justification Discourses... 59
Summary... 72
Tables and Figures... 74
CHAPTER THREE: KANTIAN AND STOIC COSMOPOLITANISM... 75
Introduction... 75
Nationalism and Cosmopolitanism: Contradictory or Complementary... 76
Cosmopolitanism: Privilege, Forced Option, or Ethical Choice... 79
Kantian Cosmopolitanism: “Being Asian and Cosmopolitan”... 84
Stoic Cosmopolitanism: “Being an Observer and Performer”... 88
Shared Path to Cosmopolitanism: Political Awakening, Social Activism, and Relational Assimilation... 92
Branching out into Stoic Cosmopolitanism: Political Cynicism and Non-identity... 97
Summary... 108
CHAPTER FOUR: AVOIDING POLITICS: GLOBAL AND LOCAL PROCESSES... 110
Introduction... 110
Political Avoidance as Enacted: The Role of Group Interactions... 114
Political Avoidance as Exerted: The State’s Coercive and Symbolic Power... 116
Political Socialization: A Meso-Level Explanation... 119
Political Avoidance: Global and Local Processes... 121
Summary... 141
Tables and Figures... 145
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION… 147
REFERENCES... 154
APPENDIX I: FULL LIST OF INTERVIEWEES... 172
APPENDIX II: INTERVIEW GUIDE… 175
APPENDIX III: POST-INTERVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE... 178
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