Cultivating self-worth among dislocated Tibetan undergraduate students in a Chinese Han-dominated national key university

Abstract

Abstract Drawing upon fieldwork conducted with a group of dislocated Tibetan undergraduate students of the neidi ban program in a Han-predominated university, this paper examines the ways in which these students make sense of their worlds. To achieve this, they have actively and engagingly organized a series of symbolically meaningful activities that draw on the symbolic resources from their cultural traditions, their specific educational trajectory, and their anticipation for the future. The paper, nonetheless, also questions in the conclusion how the program can sustain a promising future that is inseparable from the sense of self-worth among the Tibetan students. Keywords: biographical continuitycitizenshipdislocated educationself-worthTibetan students Acknowledgements Research undertaken for this article was sponsored by the Ministry of Education (Jiaoyu Bu Shehui Kexue Yanjiu Jijin) in 2007, the National Social Sciences Foundation (Guojia Shehui Kexue Jijin) in 2008, and SRF for ROCS, SEM (Jiaoyu Bu Huiguo Liuxue Renyuan Keyan Qidong Jijin) in 2009. Notes 1. There are no data regarding their employment or social mobility from either university or government officials available. 2. Interview with Anthony Giddens. http://www.polity.co.uk/giddens5/about/interview.asp (accessed January 30, 2011).