Gender Subjectivities and Habitus: Understanding Chinese International Students’ Experiences at UK Universities

• In Event: Gendered and Sexual Norms in University Contexts: Experiences From Chinese Students

Abstract

Although Bourdieu acknowledges the habitus as gendered (Miller, 2016), it is strongly symbolised by binary oppositions such as ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ (Skeggs, 2004). With recent Bourdieusian studies of Chinese international students, gender is oftentimes employed as a binary variable to investigate the differences between female and male international students. However, such use of gender risks reproducing stereotypical gender differences between men and women. This study addresses a critical gap by moving beyond binary gender analyses to examine the fluidity of gender subjectivities and how these are influenced by the interaction between students' gendered habitus and their experiences within the UK universities.

Grounded in Pierre Bourdieu’s theories of habitus and fields (Bourdieu & Wacquant, 1992), this study incorporates the concepts of gendered habitus and fields. Gendered habitus refers to the gender norms and behaviours that individuals internalise from their social and cultural environments. For Chinese international students, these norms become an integral part of their dispositions and perceptions, influencing how they navigate and respond to different fields throughout their transnational journey, including before, during, and after their studies at UK universities. Gender subjectivity is understood as the personal experience of gender, encompassing an individual's self-conception and their gendered interactions within these fields.

This study employs a longitudinal qualitative approach, focusing on Chinese master students’ experiences starting in 2023 fall for a whole year transnational study journey. Semi-structured Interviews are tailored to specific phases—pre-departure, mid-term, and end of study—to explore gender subjectivities and gendered habitus in different fields. Different interview questions are designed for students at different phases with their fields change. Thematic analysis is employed to capture their potential changes in terms of gender subjectivities and habitus in different phases.

Emerging findings suggest that Chinese international students are encouraged to reconsider their perceptions of gender, their gendered roles, and the ways they subject themselves to gendered norms within various contexts in the UK. As they transition through different social and academic fields, evidence indicates that their habitus has been reconsidered, prompting a questioning of traditional gender norms, and reinforcing their commitment to these new perspectives throughout the transnational process. Preliminary data shows that these students are not only challenging conventional gender roles, such as '男主外，女主内' (men work outside, women manage the home), but are also embracing a spectrum of gender expressions that indicate a significant shift towards gender equality, diversity and inclusivity. Therefore, this research argues that transnational educational experiences are powerful catalysts for redefining gender norms, moving beyond binary classifications to embrace a more fluid understanding of gender in Chinese international students’ transnational contexts.

References list
Bourdieu, P., & Wacquant, L. J. D. (1992). An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology. University of Chicago Press.
Miller, D.L. (2016), Gender, Field, and Habitus: How Gendered Dispositions Reproduce Fields of Cultural Production†. Sociol Forum, 31: 330-353.
Skeggs, B. (2004). Context and background: Pierre Bourdieu's analysis of class, gender and sexuality. The sociological review, 52(2), 19-33.

Author

• Qiaohui Xue, University of Nottingham