Butcher, Andrew Pieter2010-12-01NO_RESTRIC2010-12-012002http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1932Irregular pagination: missing page 205This thesis on the experiences of Southeast Asian tertiary international students and their re-entry into their countries of origin falls broadly into three parts. The first part examines the political and philosophical background of export education in New Zealand; the second part examines the perceptions of and about international students in New Zealand; and the third part examines returnees' experiences of re-entry. It charts the shift in education policy from the Colombo Plan through to neo-liberal government policies and current government policies. It identifies and analyses the perceptions of and about Asian migrants and students in New Zealand, historically and contemporarily. It identifies the re-entry transitions, particularly as experienced through disenfranchised grief and changing worldviews. It argues that these transitions challenge returnees' notions of self-identity, self-narrative, and ontological security. In particular, it argues that returnees' sense of 'home' is disrupted and challenged and that a sense of homelessness is a defining feature of the re-entry experience. It is argued that home can be defined beyond geographical boundaries, transnationally and through computer mediated communities. The difficulties of re-entry can be mediated someway through self-reflexive preparation and social support in returnees' countries of origin. Together, these can lead to re-entry being an ultimately positive and enriching experience.enThe AuthorForeign studentsExport educationReverse culture shockFields of Research::370000 Studies in Human Society::370400 Human Geography::370402 Social and cultural geographyThesisQ112857370https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112857370