International professors in China: Prestige maintenance and making sense of teaching abroad

Abstract

A new pattern of global migration is that of skilled or educated people moving from developed to developing countries in search of work. In this qualitative research study, 41 non-Chinese university instructors teaching in Beijing were asked about their decisions to migrate to the mainland. Foreign professors moved to China for various reasons: it had been their last resort, for research purposes and career advancement, or for adventure. The instructors collectively maintained that teaching at Chinese universities did not have the same level of prestige or respect as teaching at universities in western countries. To combat perceived lower social status, international professors in China rationalized their new temporary positions by creating a positive sense of self and situation. This article describes the ways in which prestige is maintained by professors dealing with perceived social downgrade.