Institutional Habitus,Transnational Academic Capital,and Contract Renewal Strategies Among Western Scholars in Mainland China

Abstract

Despite a growing body of research on the post-pandemic academic labor market crisis and its impact on potential turnover issues involving Western international faculty members (IFMs) in mainland China, far too little empirical research has been conducted regarding their contract renewal strategies. Thus, this study underpins the conceptual map of institutional habitus, transnational academic capital, and professional identity and adopts an exploratory qualitative method, which helps interpret relatively unknown issues and events by conducting semi-structured interviews with individuals who all experienced the same social phenomena. Accordingly, this study promotes scholarly conversations about three primary themes therein: (a) Backup Plans: Global Academic Social Network Chains and Information Sharing; (b) Collaborative Teaching and Research Networks in Institutional Capacity; and (c) Social Service: Academic Supervising and Mentoring and Extracurricular Activities. The study focuses on increasing a more in-depth theoretical and practical understanding of transnational academic capital mobility patterns in mainland China and beyond.