Middle-aged Mutant Sea Turtles! - A case study of identity formation among Chinese returnees in Zhongguancun, Beijing
(2007)Department of Political Science
- Abstract
- When China opened it borders in 1979, the country suffered from a severe brain drain as its most talented students left the country to take advantage of educational opportunities abroad. However these emigrant engineers, known locally as "sea turtles" or Chinese returnees, have become a valuable asset for Zhongguancun Science Park. The authorities for the high-tech park are now adopting a reverse brain drain policy to aggressively attract these Chinese returnees back to China in order to jump-start their high-tech industry.
The theoretical framework of this study is guided by a number of identity theories, which use ideas from Anthony Giddens and George Mead's micro-sociological approach and the concept of hybrid identity in order to... (More) - When China opened it borders in 1979, the country suffered from a severe brain drain as its most talented students left the country to take advantage of educational opportunities abroad. However these emigrant engineers, known locally as "sea turtles" or Chinese returnees, have become a valuable asset for Zhongguancun Science Park. The authorities for the high-tech park are now adopting a reverse brain drain policy to aggressively attract these Chinese returnees back to China in order to jump-start their high-tech industry.
The theoretical framework of this study is guided by a number of identity theories, which use ideas from Anthony Giddens and George Mead's micro-sociological approach and the concept of hybrid identity in order to analyse and explore three Chinese returnees? identity formation overseas and what kind of role they are playing in ZSP.
This case study presents evidence that an identity formation process that involves cultural hybridization has occurred overseas among these three Chinese returnees. They return to China bringing back with them new cultural aspects of their identities to the ZSP which results in a positive effect on the area. Positioned as senior managers they will over time create cultural hybridization among the locals in ZSP. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/1324439
- author
- Chan, Eric
- supervisor
- organization
- year
- 2007
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Identity formation process, hybrid identity, Zhongguancun Science Park, Chinese returnees, transnational human capital, Political and administrative sciences, Statsvetenskap, förvaltningskunskap
- language
- English
- id
- 1324439
- date added to LUP
- 2007-11-12 00:00:00
- date last changed
- 2007-11-12 00:00:00
@misc{1324439,
abstract = {{When China opened it borders in 1979, the country suffered from a severe brain drain as its most talented students left the country to take advantage of educational opportunities abroad. However these emigrant engineers, known locally as "sea turtles" or Chinese returnees, have become a valuable asset for Zhongguancun Science Park. The authorities for the high-tech park are now adopting a reverse brain drain policy to aggressively attract these Chinese returnees back to China in order to jump-start their high-tech industry.
The theoretical framework of this study is guided by a number of identity theories, which use ideas from Anthony Giddens and George Mead's micro-sociological approach and the concept of hybrid identity in order to analyse and explore three Chinese returnees? identity formation overseas and what kind of role they are playing in ZSP.
This case study presents evidence that an identity formation process that involves cultural hybridization has occurred overseas among these three Chinese returnees. They return to China bringing back with them new cultural aspects of their identities to the ZSP which results in a positive effect on the area. Positioned as senior managers they will over time create cultural hybridization among the locals in ZSP.}},
author = {{Chan, Eric}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Middle-aged Mutant Sea Turtles! - A case study of identity formation among Chinese returnees in Zhongguancun, Beijing}},
year = {{2007}},
}