Individualizing Chinese families: The Case Study of Chiang Mai 's transnational Chinese middle-class families in pursuit of international education

การทำให้ครอบครัวจีนเป็นปัจเจกบุคคล: กรณีศึกษาครอบครัวชนชั้นกลางจีนข้ามชาติต่อการแสวงหาการศึกษานานาชาติในเชียงใหม่

Name: Niu, Yafan

LCSH: Chinese -- Education

LCSH: Chinese -- Migration

LCSH: International schools -- Chiang Mai

Abstract: In today’s interconnected world, advancements in communication, logistics, and transportation have significantly enhanced the mobility of people, goods, and information. Yet, these mobilities often exacerbate regional inequalities, raising critical questions about who moves, under what conditions, and through what mechanisms. Existing migration studies, which frequently rely on binary frameworks of origin and destination or transnational social fields, an encounter to capture the complex interplay between systemic mobility infrastructures and individualized strategies. The rise of China as a global economic power has further complicated regional migration patterns, particularly with the emergence of middle-income Chinese families relocating to Southeast Asia, such as Chiang Mai, Thailand. Unlike earlier migration waves driven by economic push-pull factors or collective networks, these families adopt individualized, nomadic strategies to achieve social reproduction, lifestyle optimization, and family well-being. Despite their growing significance, the mechanisms, strategies, and impacts of these emerging forms of transnational mobility remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap through four objectives: (1) to explore the regional and transnational factors driving the mobility of Chinese middle-class families and shaping their aspirations ; (2) to investigate how these families utilize digital platforms, mobility infrastructures, and education-driven practices to establish transnational householding strategies ; (3) to analyze the socio-cultural and economic impacts of their nomadic sojourns on both migrant families and host communities, with a focus on cultural hybridity and social reproduction ; and (4) to deepen our understanding of contemporary Chinese migration while offering broader insights into global transnational mobility. Conceptually, the research employs two key frameworks: transnational digital mobility infrastructures and transnational social reproduction mobility. These frameworks are applied to analyze Chinese transnational families who have relocated to Chiang Mai since the 2012s. The study employs a qualitative methodology, including multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork with 38 Chinese families from diverse regions of mainland China, involving 64 adults and 54 children. Data collection methods include surveys, semi-structured interviews, and participant observations, providing in-depth insights into these families’ lived experiences, mobility strategies, and adaptive practices. The findings contribute to the understanding of contemporary migration in three keyways. First, Chinese middle-income families in Chiang Mai navigate social reproduction mobility through transnational nomadic strategies, addressing societal pressures such as “housewifization.” Parents from the one-child generation balance the demands of their children’s social reproduction with aspirations for high-quality, individualized family life. By redistributing economic and domestic responsibilities within cooperative, post-patriarchal family structures, these families challenge China’s collectivist governance model while exposing the social reproduction crises engendered by dispossessive capitalist accumulation. Second, the multidimensional nature of Chinese transnational mobility highlights the contingent formation of mobility infrastructures within China’s transnational social field. These infrastructures include digital communities, logistics systems, and individualized mobility capital spanning China and its neighboring regions. Families creatively assemble these elements into a foundation for their nomadic lifestyles, utilizing visa products, cross-border digital platforms, and local markets driven by online compatriot communities. This system of transnational rental consumption enables families to achieve settlement plans detached from citizenship, focusing instead on access to life resources and daily experiences. Third, this transient nomadic mobility generates complex socio-economic and cultural impacts on the hubs through which these families move. While they contribute to local economies through transnational consumption, including leasing, dining, and international education, their limited integration into local multicultural communities and economic life reflects the precariousness of their sojourning lifestyle. Centered on raising third-culture children, neo-familism within post-patriarchal families is both reinforced and destabilized, leading to marginalization and a lack of social belonging. Ultimately, this fosters a family-driven individualism within a transnational field. This research advances the literature on transnational migration by illustrating how modern migration trends among urban middle-income Chinese families diverge from traditional models of economic reproduction. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the emergence of contemporary transnational social spheres, which are redefining family strategies, social reproduction, and identity formation in an increasingly interconnected world.

Chiang Mai University. Library

Address: CHIANG MAI

Email: cmulibref@cmu.ac.th

Name: Aranya Siriphon

Role: Advisor

Name: Yos Santasombat

Role: Advisor

Name: Ta-Wei Chu

Role: Advisor

Created: 2025

Modified: 2025-08-07

Issued: 2025-08-07

วิทยานิพนธ์/Thesis

application/pdf

eng

Spatial: Chiang Mai

DegreeName: Doctor of Philosophy

Level: Doctoral Degree

Descipline: Social Sciences

Grantor: Chiang Mai University

©copyrights Chiang Mai University

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