Playing with Boundaries: Navigating Cross-Cultural Dating and Identity of Chinese Female Students in Globalized Education

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the cross-cultural dating between individuals during transnational educational program. When transnational education became widespread among Chinese female students, cross-cultural dating has become not as unusual and provided the opportunity for in-depth cross-cultural communication. However, it has also generated pressure that was imposed upon Chinese female student due to the difference between their home and host culture. Implementing an in-depth interview with Chinese female students who has or had been participating in transnational educational program that examines their dating experience, family influence, and development of personal identity when navigating between their home and host culture, this study found that these students dating abroad has to confront noy only the collectivistic expectation from their Asian parents due to generational gap and cultural unfamiliarity but also the challenge of identity formation under possible cultural shock from the host culture. Such hardship students confront in cross-cultural dating resulted in enhanced personal growth in that they are generally more acceptable of diversity, more shifted towards individualistic culture of satisfaction in life, and a more flexible approach towards relationship development.