Capitalizing Global Uncertainties: The Market for Education Agents in China and Taiwan

• In Event: 1552 - Section on Asia and Asian America Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 min): Table 5: Global/Transnational Education

Abstract

Educational agents play an important role in facilitating international students’ application to American universities. This paper draws comparisons from fieldworks from two major Chinese-speaking societies where the market for international students’ migration has proliferated—China and Taiwan. Our case utilizes a variety of data, including interviews with key market actors (education agents) and market participants(students), administrative reports, as well as ethnography from observing student’s interaction with the education agents in consulting sessions. This paper shows how education agents turn global uncertainties into commodities. We highlight three strategies used by agents to pitch their sells with the most privilege students and parents in weathers of global uncertainty during times of admission, including (1) how to divert student anxiety; (2) how to generate elite narratives; and (3) how to distinguish routines and individualized services. For understanding college admissions and class reproduction, our paper unpacks what elements of uncertainties are helpful in showing how admission system serve as a sorting mechanism for the benefit of the most privileged children and family.

Author

• Siqi Tu, New York University -- Shanghai