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Amongst transnational students, the development of a cosmopolitan sensibility reflects a strategic and calculated awareness of the value of difference in relation to the situated and embedded geographies of market demand. My research has shown that, as Bourdieu (1986) convincingly argued, ‘the acquisition of cultural competence is inseparable from insensible acquisition of a “sense” for sound cultural investment’ (p. 85). East Asian-Chinese families are extremely knowledgeable about the types and locations of valuable cultural capital. These families seek ‘the kinds of symbolic capital11 that have international recognition and value, not only in the country of origin but also in the country of destination and especially in the transnational spaces where the itineraries of travelling businessmen and professionals intersect’ (Ong, 1999, p. 90).
However, Ong (1999) also argued that the cultural capital sought by Hong Kong Chinese business families reflects their overwhelming desire for acceptance in the host society. In contrast, for many overseas-educated graduates, the accumulation of cultural capital is related to their intention to return to Asia, where the value of their capital is greatest. As this book demonstrates, there are specific, geographically varied markets for particular cultural competences, which intersect with similar markets for internationally acquired and recognised credentials.
The Study
The arguments made in this book are based on substantive empirical research. I have primarily used qualitative methods, incorporating analysis of in-depth interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, and newspaper archival research, as well as government data. The primary fieldwork was conducted between July 2002 and March 2003 in two locations: British Columbia, more specifically Vancouver and Victoria, and Hong Kong, although the study, as a whole, was conceived over 3 years. Additional research was carried out at the beginning of 2004 with the help of two research assistants at the University of Hong Kong.