2025/07/01 by Zheng Hao · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Gender Roles and Identity Studies #Migration and Labor Dynamics #Youth Education and Societal Dynamics
paper · doi:10.1177/00380261251347751
openalex publication_date 2025/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
This article examines the interplay between sexual identity and family expectations of Chinese queer female international students as they navigate the transition to adulthood while living in Australia. It uncovers how participants refashion traditional adult milestones – financial independence, relationship registration and homeownership – to align with their queer identity within a transnational context. By contextualising ‘responsibility’ as a relational factor in the entanglement of identity, privilege, mobility and social relations, this article provides new perspectives to examine the family dynamics shaping mobile Chinese youths’ navigation of adulthood. The article critically reflects on individual-centric theories of youth transitions, arguing for the necessity of incorporating family dynamics and queer interventions to better understand the transition to adulthood, particularly in ways that disrupt and expand Western paradigms. The findings reveal the role of intergenerational relations and transnational mobility in young Chinese queer females’ reconfiguration of milestones, challenging the dominant narrative of youth transitions.