Review of Pilot

COMING HOME: A STUDY OF VALUES CHANGE AMONG CHINESE POSTGRADUATES AND VISITING SCHOLARS WHO ENCOUNTERED CHRISTIANITY IN THE U.K. ANDREA DEBORAH CLAIRE DICKSON, BA, MIS, MA Thesis submitted to the University of Nottingham for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy JULY 2013 Abstract This thesis examines changes in core values held by postgraduate students and visiting scholars from China who professed belief in Christianity while studying in UK universities. It is the first study to ascertain whether changes remain after return to China. Employing a theoretical framework constructed from work by James Fowler, Charles Taylor, Yuting Wang and Fenggang Yang, it identifies both factors contributing to initial change in the UK and factors contributing to sustained change after return to China. It shows that lasting values change occurred. As a consequence, tensions were experienced at work, socially and in church. However, these were outweighed by benefits, including inner security, particularly after a distressed childhood. Benefits were also experienced in personal relationships and in belonging in a new community, the Church. This was a qualitative, interpretive study employing ethnographic interviews with nineteen people, from eleven British universities, in seven Chinese cities. It was based on the hypotheses that Christian conversion leads to change in values and that evidence for values can be found in responses to major decisions and dilemmas, in saddest and happiest memories and in relationships. Conducted against a backdrop of transnational movement of people and ideas, including a recent increase in mainland Chinese studying abroad which has led to more Chinese in British churches, it contributes new insights into both the contents of sustained Christian conversion amongst Chinese abroad who have since returned to China and factors contributing to it. Bringing the afore-mentioned theories together for the first time it provides an illuminating, original lens for further study of conversion amongst returned Chinese. It also adds to knowledge of the effects of Chinese students’ UK education experience on their values. i Acknowledgements Many people supported me during this PhD, but I am especially grateful to: The University of Nottingham, School of Education, who gave me a scholarship for the prerequisite Master’s degree and the PhD; colleagues and staff made it enjoyable. Dr Peter Gates led the MA with warmth and catching enthusiasm for educational research. Dr Qing Gu, my second supervisor, brought academic insight and empathy for the lone researcher. My main supervisor, Professor John Morgan, encouraged me and, with his broad scholarship, opened up new avenues to explore. Four Chinese friends were generous with time, as critical friends and piloting interviews. They have their own copies of this page. The Lim family provided friendship, fun and support: thank you for sharing the concern at the heart of this research. My mother, Elsie Dickson, helped generously with travel costs. The Charnley family, Jane Kerrigan and Dr Linda Christie supported me in many ways, as always. Thanks to: Dr Maithrie White for her critical reading; Sue Burt for her emails during low points; my US colleagues, Drs Stuart Bullington and Stuart DeLorme, for their sympathetic listening ears; Dr Moira Lee, Dr Gwynne Davies and my brother-in-law, Bill Harvey, for encouragement; Peter and Valerie Lewis, Ann and Graham Humphreys, Dr Joel Chaney and members of Cornerstone Church for their interest and prayers, and for the Church’s financial contribution to the field work. Without their international heart and vision I would never have made so many Chinese friends. In China special thanks are owed James and family for their hospitality and enthusiasm for my project. Finally, I want to thank all the people who so generously shared their stories and lives with me. It was a privilege to meet them. ii Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………… i Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………. ii Tables and Figures…………………………………………………………………………. vi Abbreviation and Acronyms………………………………………………………….. vii Glossary of Chinese Terms……………………………………………………………. viii Preface…………………………………………………………………………………………… . ix Chapter One: Introduction……………………………………………………………… 1 The context…………………………………………………………………………. 1 Values and values change……………………………….…………………. 5 The need for this research…………………………………………………. 11 Research aims……………………………………………………………………… 13 The structure of the thesis………………………………………………….. 13 Summary……………………………………………………………………………… 15 Chapter Two: The Review of Literature………………………………………….. 17 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 17 Values and values change……………………………………………………. 18 The consequences of study abroad……………………………………… 33 Conversion and Christian values…………………………………………… 46 Identity…………………………………………………………………………………… 60 What are Chinese values?.............................................. 61 What are the gaps in knowledge?.................................... 74 Theoretical framework…………………………………………………………. 76 Research questions……………………………………………………………….. 83 Summary………………………………………………………………………………. 83 Chapter Three: Methodology and Methods……………………………………… 85 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 85 Philosophy and Methodology………………………………………………… 85 iii The participants.......................................................... 107 Data collection methods……………………………………………………… 110 Data analysis……………………………………………………………………….. 126 Ethical considerations…………………………………………………………… 133 Cross-cultural considerations………………………………………………. 135 Quality and reliability……………………………………………………………. 138 Lessons learned……………………………………………………………………. 141 Limitations……………………………………………………………………………. 143 Summary……………………………………………………………………………… 145 Chapter Four: Individuals – conversion and values……………………….. 146 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 146 Conversion……………………………………………………………………………. 147 Cameos………………………………………………………………………………… 147 Other participants……………………………………………………………….. 165 Bridges facilitating the process of conversion……………………. 170 Summary…………………………………………………………………………….. 175 Chapter Five: Shared values…………………………………………………………… 177 Introduction………………………………………………………………………….. 177 Values before conversion…………………………………………………….. 179 Values at time of interview………………………………………………….. 196 Tensions and benefits…………………………………………………………… 227 Summary………………………………………………………………………………. 232 Chapter Six: Discussion – Values, conversion and contexts………….. 234 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 234 Introducing the diagram……………………………………………………… 237 Coming to the UK…………………………………………………………………. 240 Returning to China………………………………………………………….……. 246 Factors contributing to sustained change in values……………. 257 Summary……………………………………………………………………………… 276 iv Chapter Seven: Conclusion……………………………………………………………. 277 Introduction………………………………………………………………………… 277 Research aim and questions revisited………………………………. 277 Contribution………………………………………………………………………… 286 Limitations…………………………………………………………………………… 288 Recommendations for further research……………………………. 290 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………… 293 Appendices…………………………………………………………………………………….. 314 Appendix A: Interview questions and topics……………………… 314 Appendix B: Participant information sheet…………………..…… 319 Appendix C: Participant consent form………………………………. 321 Appendix D: Extracts from interview transcripts………………. 322 Appendix E: Summary of individual participants’ values…. 338 v Tables and Figures List of Tables Table 1 Participants 109 Table 2 Linking research questions and interview topics 113 Table 3 Values held by four or more participants – before 178 Table 4 Values held by multiple participants – at interview 178 Table 5 Summary of individual participants’ values 338 List of Figures Figure 1 Photograph of hoardings extolling ‘civilized behaviour’ 73 Figure 2 Components of theoretical framework 82 Figure 3 Conversion and change in values, across contexts 236 vi Abbreviations and Acronyms CASS Chinese Academy of Social Sciences CCC Chinese Christian Council CCP Chinese Communist Party CPA Catholic Patriotic Association CVS Chinese Value Survey FBO Faith-based organization HR Human resources IBM International Business Machines NGO Non-governmental organization PRC People’s Republic of China PVQ (Schwartz’s) Portrait Values Questionnaire RAB Religious Affairs Bureau RMB renminbi (currency of the PRC) RVS Rokeach Value Survey SARA State Administration for Religious Affairs SARS Severe acute respiratory syndrome SVS Schwartz Value Survey TSPM Three Self Patriotic Movement UK United Kingdom US United States USA United States of America WTO World Trade Organization WVS World Values Survey vii Glossary of Chinese Terms bao reciprocity danwei work unit haigui returnee from study abroad hanxu implicit communication keqi politeness mianzi face-directed communication strategies suzhi (good) quality ti–yong essence–function viii Preface I cannot remember how my interest in China started but it goes back to the 1980s. My first contact with someone from China was in a seminar at Birmingham University, in 1991, whilst studying the international relations of East Asia. Then there were relatively few mainland Chinese students in the UK. When work as an NHS manager moved me to Nottingham in 1993 I joined a church very popular with international students. I started to meet socially with Chinese students and was asked to help respond to the increasing numbers who were asking for explanations of the Bible and Christianity. In 1999 I accepted the post of Nottingham

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