Pre-mobility life-worlds: Who is on the move?

Mulvey, B. (2023) Pre-mobility life-worlds: Who is on the move? In: Mapping International Student Mobility Between Africa and China. Springer: Singapore, pp. 43-57. ISBN 9789819985081 (doi: 10.1007/978-981-99-8509-8_3)

Abstract

This chapter aims to outline the pre-mobility circumstances of a highly heterogeneous group of African international students in China. This encompasses home and family lives and experiences of school, which contribute to these students’ conceptions of their position and place in society. For this purpose, I separate the case study participants into two groups based on parental education level and occupation, as well as perceived income relative to others, to emphasise the broad spectrum of socio-economic backgrounds of African international students in China. The first section discusses less privileged international students’ pre-mobility experiences, serving to emphasise the often-neglected fact that the accumulation of forms of cultural capital is not an exclusively middle-class activity, even when this accumulation involves international mobility. I then provide an account of the pre-mobility circumstances of the middle-class students within the sample, situating this within a discussion of difficulties surrounding the straightforward application of the term ‘middle-class’ to the African continent.

• Item Type: Book Sections
• Additional Information: Online ISBN: 9789819985098.
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Mulvey, Dr Benjamin
• Authors: Mulvey, B.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Publisher: Springer
• ISBN: 9789819985081