Paradise Redefined

In 2004, Vanessa Fong offered a groundbreaking ethnographic exploration of the social, economic, and psychological development of children born since China's one-child policy was introduced in 1979. Only Hopeleft readers with a picture of youth for whom elite status was the ultimate goal, though relatively few were in a position to achieve it. In Paradise Redefined, Fong accompanies her Dalian youth--now college-age-- to Australia, Europe, Japan, New Zealand, North America, and Singapore to understand how study abroad serves as an alternative for reaching that (perceived) status. While a prestigious college education is the only way to enter the elite class within China, plentiful and diverse paths to elite status--what Fong refers to as "developed world" citizenship--exist for those who study abroad. This book examines the expectations, definitions, and experiences that affect how various Chinese students make decisions about their future. Broadly, it also situates the specific experiences of Chinese students as avenues and motivations for transnational migration, increasing our understanding of how China is becoming globalized.