Public Discourses About International Students

Abstract

A growing, English-language literature analyzes the public discourse of international education and students. One large set of studies highlight the discursive marginalization of non-western, international students in western, host societies. They draw on critical discourse analysis (CDA) and meta-narratives of western, White, and elite dominance, which diminish the theoretical importance of discourse in non-western and non-elite settings. A second, smaller set of studies analyze the public discourse of international education in non-western, specifically Asian, countries; they generally reference educational discourse in both Asian and western countries. Relatively few studies critically examine patterns of discursive domination in Asian discourse; but the ones that do so compare both Asian and Western countries. Even rarer are studies of social media discourse among international students. We find a few studies of social media discourse among Asian students who studied abroad, but none of foreign students studying in host, Asian countries. Attention to multiple discourses and theoretical narratives offers a fruitful, research agenda and underlines the complex, dynamic, global nature of contemporary public discourse on international education.