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BUILDING A "NATIONAL CIVILIZATION" AT HOME AND ABROAD: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND CHANGING U.S. POLITICAL ECONOMY By Fanta Aw Submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts of Sciences of American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In Sociology Chair: Esther Ngan-ling Chow Bette Dickerson r/2---~#-~ Russell Stone Dean of the College V6-~ 3J \1D\ \ Date 2011 American University Washington D.C. 20016 AMERICAN UNIVERSrTV llMARY 912. s UMI Number: 3484793 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI _.--Dissertation Publishing....___ UMI 3484793 Copyright 2011 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Pro uesr ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ©COPYRIGHT by FantaAw 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BUILDING A "NATIONAL CIVILIZATION" AT HOME AND ABROAD: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND CHANGING U.S. POLITICAL ECONOMY BY FantaAw ABSTRACT The research study examines the relationship of international students to changing U.S. political economy. The research attempts to move international students from the periphery to the center of understanding the changing U.S. political economy in the twenty-first century. I argue that international students play an important role in building a U.S. "national civilization" at home and abroad. Using a historical case study method, I demonstrate how international students contribute to U.S. national and international interests and explore the ways in which international students as social, cultural, economic and political capitals advance the goals of the state. International student exchange operates on the tacit principle of Western superiority and the transformation of developing nations according to models and policies of advanced nations, most particularly that of the U.S. International student mobility has enabled the United States to extend its hegemonic power overseas beyond military might and economic aid. International 11 students become actors in advancing U.S. "national civilization." Given their potential as agents of change in their home countries, international students further U.S. foreign policy objectives by implementing U.S. economic models, promoting U.S.-style "democracy" and culture. With the rise of the neoliberal state, the promotion of free-market enterprise, and commodification of higher education, international students have become important human and economic capital. The United States economy benefits greatly from the supply of international students in the science and engineering fields. These students are the intellectual "braceros" advancing the U.S. knowledge economy and as skilled migrants fuel innovation and entrepreneurship. The state plays an important role in facilitating the migration of international students. However, in a post 9/11 world order, the state has exhibited a schizophrenic approach to the international student program by constructing international students as friends and foes. Given the contributions of international students and the conflicting position of the state, the United States must clearly define its relationship to international students and must re-examine its current immigration policies if it is to maintain its dominance in cross-border education, given increased competition for students by other major receiving nation states. 111 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study would not have been possible without the support of many scholars, colleagues, international education advocates, and friends. Each encouraged me to push the limit of my intellect and have inspired me to "dare to ask" difficult questions and seek answers. I am indebted to Dr. Esther Ngan-ling Chow for her mentorship, guidance, and support. As my dissertation chair, her faith and unwavering support became the fuel I needed to persevere. She has generously given of her time and could always be counted on to walk the journey with me. She is a remarkable scholar who never ceases to inspire me! I am grateful to Dr. Bette Dickerson for serving on my committee and for her friendship and support. She has provided important moral support over the years. Thanks to Dr. Russell Stone, for serving on my committee, for his encouragement and for believing in my work. I am indebted to a number of individuals and organizations who had a direct and indirect hand in shaping this study. My best friend, Dr. Christine Chin, was instrumental in helping me refine my thinking about the framework. I thank her for her patience and for listening to my incessant babbles about my study. To Dr. Shireen Lewis and her organization, SISTERMENTORS, for providing the needed structure and guidance I needed to complete this study. I have learned from lV Shireen the importance of goal setting and accountability. I could not have done this without Shireen and her untiring support and SISTERMENTORS. To Dr. Gary Wright, my former supervisor. Gary is the person responsible for my being in the field of international education. I learned to love the work and the field of international education by watching him in action. To NAFSA: Association oflnternational Educators, and to the thousands of international students I have had the pleasure of advising and interacting with at American University. You became the inspiration for this work. Above all else, I am forever grateful to my family, particularly my mother, Aminata Sylla Aw, my father Djibril Aw, and my siblings, Mountaga and Ousmane, who love me unconditionally and taught me to believe in myself. I am very fortunate to be born in such an amazing family. My parents have taught us to value education and to always aim for excellence. Their love, commitment, and sacrifices to ensure that we, their children, had the best in life are simply remarkable. I am confident that the love of learning will be passed on to the next generation, my twin nephews Djibril and Rodrigo Amaro Aw. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... .iv LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. xi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................... xiii Chapter 1. RESEARCH PROBLEM .................................................................................. 1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 1 Study Background ....................................................................................... 3 Statement of Problem and Subproblems ...................................................... 8 Significance of Research ........................................................................... 11 Delimitation of Study ................................................................................ 13 Organization of the Dissertation ................................................................ 14 2. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW ................ 17 Major Terminology .................................................................................... 17 Review of the Literature ............................................................................ 20 International Education Exchange and Student Mobility to the United States .......................................................................................................... 21 Trends in International Enrollment. ........................................................... 23 International Graduate Science and Engineering Enrollments .................. 25 VI U.S. Dependence on International Student Enrollments ........................... 26 Sociological Theories and Conceptual Frameworks ................................. 27 Human Capital Theory .............................................................................. 31 Historical-Structural Perspectives ............................................................. 37 Global Integration Theory ......................................................................... 38 Gramsci's "National Civilization" Theory and the Modernization Paradigm .................................................................................................... 44 3. METHODS AND RESEARCH DESIGN ....................................................... 51 Research Design ........................................................................................ 51 Purpose of Study ........................................................................................ 53 Sources of Data and Method ...................................................................... 55 Challenges and Limitations of the Study ................................................... 61 4. INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION: A TOOL FOR ADVANCING U.S. FOREIGN POLICY ......................................................................................... 64 U.S. Modernization Paradigm ..................................................................