In Between Worlds: The Convergence of Chinese and Western Values as Global Habitus

Abstract

This paper addresses Coppel (2012)'s claim regarding the heterogeneity of the identity of the Chinese Overseas. My paper chronicles the case of the Malaysian Chinese who come from two different educational mediums -the national mainstream medium, and the Chinese-language medium through a review of the existing literature on Malaysian Chinese identity. Past research showed that significant behavioral and ontological differences existed among individuals who experienced Chinese-language education and those who experienced English or Malay language education (the national mainstream medium) (Purcell, 1948; Tan & Santhiram, 2010). In the present climate characterized by multidirectional ideological flows across geographical regions, I argue that the differences in educational outcomes, especially measured in terms of cultural capital, are waning. This suggests a cultural convergence which augurs the possession of desirable cultural capital, or as Illouz and John (2003) terms it, 'global habitus'.

Six mois sur Duolingo pour apprendre le français, le chinois, et d’autres langues : An Experiential Diary Account of Linguistic Diversity

“…To compare two of the languages I had completed, I experienced the Chinese language (Mandarin) as having a focus on the tangible and practical, while I experienced the French language as being focused more on intangible and abstract thoughts. I wish to append this observation to that of Chan's (2018Chan's ( , 2020…”

“…The former have often been described by scholars (and laypersons) as focusing more on physical and tangible matters in their speech, as well as displaying more 'pragmatic and collectivist' attitudes; while the latter has been described as having a more 'intangible' and 'individualistic' focus in their speech and attitudes. Chan (2016Chan ( , 2018Chan ( , 2020Chan ( , 2022 noted that in the globalised world however, other forms of multimedia can help to transcend this worldview 'divide', for example, where learning another language is concerned.…”

Chan See Shu Yuen: The Cantonese Ancestral Clan in Malaysia as Transnational Social Support Network

“…Cultural globalization is bringing two formerly disparate value systems into the forefront, repackaging some of its attributes as desirable cultural capital (global habitus), and transmitting these values into the younger generation of Malaysian Chinese, who embrace it to remain competitively relevant, regardless of education background. This suggests a cultural convergence which augurs the possession of desirable cultural capital, or as Illouz and John (2003) terms it, 'global habitus' (Chan, 2018a). While the Malaysian Chinese now participate in transnational cultural exchanges with mainland China, they do so not due to such diasporic 'homeland-oriented' reasons, but due to 9(1) 25 China's position as a global superpower parallel to the United States (Jacques, 2015).…”

Breaking Windows: Malaysian Manga As Dramaturgy Of Everyday-Defined Realities

“…Malaysian society is multi-ethnic and multilingual. According to sociologist Chan, "Malaysia has a multicultural social context, comprising several main ethnic groups, often classified as the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians (Hirschman 1986, p. 555;Chan, 2018b); as well as the indigenous groups whose majority is the Semai (Arabestani & Edo, 2011, p. 6;Chan, 2018b), and in East Malaysia the KadazanDusun (Defense Language Institute, 2015, p. 62; Chan, 2018b). However, these categorisations have been said to be a legacy of colonial discourse, and thus in its post-colonial climate, it is pertinent to analyse the effects of such discourse by focusing on popular narratives, which include cartoons, songs, poems, and other unofficial discourses (Shamsul Amri Baharuddin & Athi S. M., 2013, p. 268a).…”