International schools in an era of rising nationalism
A Tug-of-War Between Cosmopolitan and National Forces
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2923722 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ewan Wright (0000-0003-2313-6181, Education University of Hong Kong, corresponding author), Chunhua Huang (0000-0001-9340-3180, University of Utah) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 87-103 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Discourse Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0159-6306 • E-ISSN: 1469-3739 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/01596306.2024.2436339 |
| OpenAlex | W4405215269 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
| References cited | 38 |
A rise of nationalism worldwide presents complex challenges for international schools, which have long been regarded as archetypes of cosmopolitanism in education. In this article, we apply the concept of cosmopolitan nationalism to investigate how interplays between cosmopolitanism and nationalism manifest in practice at international schools. We conducted a multi-site case study of five international high schools in the Pearl Delta River region in Southern China, covering cases in Guangdong Province (Guangzhou and Shenzhen), Hong Kong (two schools), and Macao. Through field observations, website analyses, and interviews (n = 105) with principals, teachers, parents, and students, we provide descriptive snapshots of each case. Three major findings demonstrated a ‘tug-of-war’ between cosmopolitan and national forces: (1) diversity in how cosmopolitan education is interpreted and implemented, (2) a growing influence of nationalism on educational objectives and practices, and (3) counterbalancing resistance to nationalistic elements grounded in cosmopolitan values. These points are discussed in light of a newly adapted schematic depiction of cosmopolitan nationalism at the school-level. To conclude, we reflect on how a balance of rootedness linked to national belonging, pride, and traditions along with cosmopolitan learning environments that promote openness to the world may represent the future of international schooling
Cosmopolitanism · Nationalism · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Tug of war · Gender Studies · Global Education and Multiculturalism · Global Educational Policies and Reforms · Law · Tourism, Volunteerism, and Development
Internationally-facing’ schooling in China
From global integration to sovereign education
Media representations of Canadian offshore schools in China
Reimagining national systems
Navigating identity and agency within institutional norms
‘Beyond the cosmopolitan bubble’
The art of being global
International schools in an era of rising nationalism
Globalizing Education Policy
Global citizenship education redefined – A systematic review of empirical studies on global citizenship education
Cosmopolitan nationalism as an analytical lens
Introduction to the special issue ‘Return of the nation
‘Cosmopolitan start-up’ capital
Statement of Removal
National literacies, or modern education and the art of fabricating national minds
The crypto-growth of “International Schooling”
The influx of International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes into local education systems in Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea
Multiculturalism or Cosmopolitanism
Experiments in being global
International Baccalaureate schools as islands of educational resistance. A case study of Poland
The international, global and intercultural dimensions in schools
The turning tide of the International Baccalaureate in China
Transnational spaces of education
The proliferation of international schools
Decoupling Chinese internationalised schools from normative constructions of the international school
Cosmopolitan nationalism in the cases of South Korea, Israel and the U.S
Nationalising the international in China
Washing the world in whiteness; international schools’ policy
Reining in the International
The Rising China is Not a ‘Sick Man’ Anymore
Raising European Citizens? European Identity in European Schools
Nationalism
Cosmopolitanism and nationalism
A State-Led Nationalism
Unpacking cosmopolitanism for the social sciences
Towards cosmopolitan learning
International schools in an era of rising nationalism
From confident subject to humble citizen
Frontiers of cosmopolitanism
| Unique citing works | 8 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 8 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 7 |