Examining Chinese peasants’ transnational communication patterns and identity negotiations on an Algerian construction site

Abstract

An increasing number of Chinese peasants are employed in globalised Chinese enterprises’ overseas projects; African countries are among their destinations. In this study, a cohort of Chinese peasants were interviewed to gain their perspective on their communication experiences in their everyday working and leisure life on an Algerian construction site. These peasants’ reflections, complemented by the observations of their Chinese professional co-workers, reveal that they remained strongly attached to their Chinese identity during their sojourn in the host country, and hoped that their contribution as skilled workers would be recognised and accepted there. To some extent, these peasants’ everyday life experiences in the host country changed their identity and extended their professional repertoire of skills and communication patterns. When talking about their future, however, the peasants expressed a desire to return to their homeland, remaining attached to their Chinese culture and identity. Enriched by these experiences, their value as skilled workers should be recognised when they return to rural China. The paper explores the Chinese peasants’ transnational communication patterns and their identity negotiations and transformations, and contributes to research into peasants’ communication practices in the context of migration.