Personal Changes of Young Chinese through Working Holidays in New Zealand

ABSTRACT

This study aims to explore the personal changes of Chinese youth from their working holiday experiences in New Zealand. By drawing on semi-structured interviews, this study recruited thirty-four Chinese working holiday makers (WHMs) in New Zealand. A modified thematic analysis was adopted to analyze the interview transcriptions. Five themes have been developed, including independence, bravery, tolerance, marriage attitudes, and friends making. The findings of this study demonstrate the complexities and multi-dimensions of Chinese WHMs’ personal changes during their working holiday experiences and contribute to the literature by delving into the relationship between these personal changes and the social-cultural context in which they are from. The findings also offer insightful suggestions for future studies.

摘要

本文旨在讨论中国青年通过在新西兰的打工度假所收获的个人成长。本文通过半结构化访谈的方式在新西兰采访了三十四位来自中国大陆的打工度假青年。通过改进主题分析, 本文得到了五个主题:独立, 勇气, 包容, 婚姻观和交朋友。这些主题概括了中国青年在新西兰打工度假的个人成长。研究的结果表明中国青年在打工度假期间经历了复杂的和多维度的个人成长, 同时也深入探究了这些个人成长与他们所成长的社会文化背景之间的关系。本研究也提供了一些后续研究的建议。

KEYWORDS:

• Chinese youth tourists
• working holiday
• working holiday makers
• personal changes
• thematic analysis
• Chinese outbound tourism

关键词:

• 中国青年游客
• 打工度假
• 打工度假者
• 个人成长
• 主题分析
• 中国出境旅游

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hongrui Zhu

Hongrui Zhu is affiliated with Department of Tourism at University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. His research interests include backpacking tourism, working holiday makers and Chinese outbound tourism (E-mail: [email protected]).

Tara Duncan

Tara Duncan is Senior Lecturer in School of Technology and Business Studies at Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden. Her research interests focus on current debates around lifestyle mobility, migration, and transnationalism as well as the everyday spaces and practices within tourism, hospitality and leisure (E-mail: [email protected]).

Hazel Tucker

Hazel Tucker is Professor in Department of Tourism at University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Her research interests include tourism encounters, emotion, heritage, and gender (E-mail: [email protected]).