Books
Catherine Gomes,Transient Mobility and Middle Class Identity: Media and Migration in Australia and Singapore, Palgrave Macmillan, 2016.
Catherine Gomes (ed.), The Asia Pacific in the Age of Transnational Mobility: The Search for Community and Identity on and through Social Media, London, New York & Delhi: Anthem Press, 2016.
Ly Tran and Catherine Gomes (eds.) International Student Connectedness and Identity: Transnational and Trans-disciplinary Perspectives, Springer, 2017.
Catherine Gomes, Multiculturalism through the Lens: A Guide to Ethnic and Migrant Anxieties in Singapore, Ethos Books and Wee Kim Wee Centre, Singapore Management University, 2015.
Book Chapters
Catherine Gomes, “Not Quite Fitting In: Asian International Students in Singapore”, in International Student Mobility, Services, and Policy in Higher Education, Krishna Bista and Charlotte Foster (eds), Pennsylvania: IGI Global, 2016, 281-296.
Catherine Gomes, “Liking It, Not Loving It: International Students in Singapore and their Navigation of Everyday Life In Transience,” Multiethnic Southeast Asia and Social Media: Identity, Ethnicity, Community and Migration, London, New York & Delhi: Anthem Press, 2016 (in press).
Catherine Gomes, ‘Disconnections with the host nation and the significance of international student communities: A case study of Asian international students in Australia and Singapore’ Ly Tran and Catherine Gomes (eds.) International Student Connectedness and Identity: Transnational and Trans-disciplinary Perspectives, Springer (in press).
Refereed Journal Articles
Shanton Chang & Catherine Gomes, “Digital journeys: a perspective on understanding the digital experiences of international students”, Journal of International Students, 2017 (in press).
Catherine Gomes and Jonathan Tan, “Christianity as a Culture of Mobility: A Case Study of Asian Transient Migrants in Singapore,” Kritika Kultura: A Refereed Electronic Journal of Literary/Cultural and Language Studies, first published 21 September
Abstract: More than ever before, the global and transnational movements of young people for work and study have become part of everyday life. Yet there is very little research on this phenomenon in relation to how actors in transience create strategies to cope with being away from home nation (place of birth and/or citizenship) and from family. As part of the findings of a larger international study on the identities, social networks and media/communication use of transient migrants, researchers found that Christianity featured prominently during life in transience for Asian respondents. This paper thus puts forward the notion that Christianity may well function as a culture of mobility by looking at its significance to Asian “foreign talent” transient migrants in Singapore. Through face-to-face interviews with fifty-seven Asian working professionals and international students, this paper found thirty that not only identified themselves as Christian, but whose social networks were also made up of Asian foreign talent transient migrant Christians. This paper thus suggests that Asian foreign talent transient migrants turn to Christianity as a way of coping with everyday life in transience. The Christian groups they join allow them to create a sense of community while being away from the home nation. This sense of community however is with other transient migrants, rather than with locals.
Catherine Gomes, “Footloose Migrants.Crossings,” Special Edition, Crossings: Journal of Migration and Culture (April 2015).
Catherine Gomes, “Living in a Parallel Society: International Students in Australia and their Navigation of Everyday Life in Transience,” Journal of Youth Studies, first published 24 December 2014.
Abstract: Work on the experiences of international students in Australia often point out that these students do not successfully integrate into Australian society with many international students counting very few or no Australians as friends by the time they complete their studies. Through in-depth interviews with 47 Melbourne-based higher education international students from Asia – the source of Australia’s largest export education market – this study explores the ways in which international students navigate their everyday experiences in their host nation. The findings suggest that Asian international students live in a parallel society almost exclusively made up of fellow international students who primarily come from the home nation and the Asian region. This parallel society allows them to create both a sense of belonging inAustralia yet not to Australia due to disengagement from local society and culture. By investigating their social networks (society) together with their consumption of entertainment media (culture), this study presents an indirect yet creative way of understanding how international students negotiate everyday life as transient migrants in the Australian city of Melbourne. Doing so, this research highlights the ways in which international students make use of social networks and entertainment media to feel a sense of belonging in a foreign country.
Catherine Gomes, Marsha Berry, Basil Alzougool and Shanton Chang, “Home Away From Home: International Students and their Identity-Based Social Networks In Australia,” Journal of International Students, Vol 4, Iss. 1. 2014.
Catherine Gomes, “Xenophobia Online: Unmasking Singaporean Attitudes Towards ‘Foreign Talent’ Migrants,” Asian Ethnicities, Vol 15, Iss 1, 2014, first published 8 April 2013, http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14631369.2013.784511.
Basil Alzougool, Shanton Chang, Catherine Gomes and Marsha Berry, “Finding their Way Around: International Students’ Use of Information Sources,” Journal of Advanced Management Science, Vol. 1 No. 1, March 2013, 43-49, http://www.joams.com/uploadfile/2013/0130/20130130105513573.pdf.
Refereed Conference Proceedings
Catherine Gomes, Shanton Chang, Lyndell Jacka, David Coulter, Basil Alzougool, Dora Constantinidis, “Myth Busting Stereotypes: The Connections, Disconnections and Benefits of International Student Social Networks”, The 26th ISANA International Education Conference was held in Melbourne, Victoria, 1-4 December 2015 at the Pullman on the park.
Catherine Gomes, “Living in an Exclusive Multinational Society: International Students in Australia and their Social Networks,” Catherine Gomes and Shanton Chang (eds.), The 25th ISANA International Education Conference was held in Adelaide, South Australia (December 2014).
Catherine Gomes and Basil Alzougool, “Transnational Citizens and Identities: International Students’ Self-Perceived Identities, their Social Networks and their Consumption of Entertainment Media in Australia” Catherine Gomes and Shanton Chang (eds.), The 24th ISANA International Education Conference was held in Brisbane, Queensland, 3 to 6 December 2013 at the Sofitel Brisbane Central.
Basil Alzougool, Shanton Chang, Catherine Gomes and Marsha Berry, “Finding their Way Around: International Students’ Use of Information Sources,” 2013 International Conference on Innovation and Information Management, Singapore, January 19-20.
Shanton Chang, Basil Alzougool, Marsha Berry, Catherine Gomes, Sharon Smith and Daniel Reeders, “Communicating with International Students: How do their social networks impact on where they go to for information?” The 24th ISANA International Education Conference was held in Auckland, New Zealand, 4-7 December 2012, Auckland.
Shanton Chang, Basil Alzougool, Marsha Berry, Catherine Gomes, Sharon Smith and Daniel Reeders, “Mapping the Social Networks of International Students: Foundations for Improving Communication”, AIEC Conference, 2-5 October 2012, Melbourne.
Non-refereed publications
Catherine Gomes, “International students, their friends and their ambitions’, Q & A: Questions and ANZSSA Newsletter, September 2015, pp. 4-5.
Excerpt: If international students see themselves as global citizens with a hunger for future transience working outside the home and host nations, perhaps service providers can facilitate this by tapping on existing global alumni networks during their study. Alumni here could act as mentors – even remotely through social media – with current international students. Putting international students in touch with alumni thus allows them to develop their self-perceived identity as global citizens, possibly nurture inter-personal relationships with individuals who are not co-nationals, provide possible post-study opportunities and allow alumni to be involved in some way with current students.
Ly Tran and Catherine Gomes, “Stereotyping international students is unjust”, World University News, 1 May 2015.
Catherine Gomes, “International student report emphasises their value, but not the means”, The Conversation, 1 Apr 2015.
Catherine Gomes, “Why international students need to make Aussie friends,” The Conversation, 3 Sept 2014.
Excerpt: International students, particularly those from Asia, are often perceived as hanging out primarily with other international students. My ongoing research suggests that this perception is not far off the mark.
I am finding that the Asian international students I spoke to admit that they have very few or no local friends. They inform me that the only times they meet Australians is in their lectures and tutorials. This is not surprising since they are here to study and their primary contact with Australians is in their courses. However, the international students note that local students don’t want to mix with them after class, least of all talk to them.
Interestingly, the international students I interviewed also found it difficult to identify with Asian-Australians, making it hard for them to feel “at home” in Australia. To complicate matters, the international students consider Australians to be white/Caucasian rather than ethnically diverse.
By and large, my interviewees said that while they wanted to interact with Australians, they believed that locals felt otherwise. They blamed themselves for their lack of Australian friends, pointing to their lack of English skills and status as foreigners with little in common with Australians as reasons for not having Aussie mates.
International students thus have little recourse but to hang out with fellow international students.
Catherine Gomes, “Australia loses international students at its own peril,” The Conversation, 29 July 2014.
Keynotes
Catherine Gomes, “Connections and Disconnections: A look at international student social media use in Australia and Singapore”, Family and Facebook: Creating connections for students via family, community, web and social media, Victoria University of Wellington, 19 October 2015.
Papers Presented
Shanton Chang and Catherine Gomes, ‘Understanding international students’ Information-seeking behaviour : Implications for sustaining international education,’ seminar presentation to Australian International Education, Department of Education, Canberra, 28 April 2016 (invited).
Catherine Gomes, “‘Home Is Wherever I Drop My Backpack’: Foreign Talent and Their Negotiation Of Transience in Singapore”, The Population, Migration and Multicultural Studies Network, University of Melbourne, 21 April 2016 (invited).
Catherine Gomes, “‘Home Is Wherever I Drop My Backpack’: Foreign Talent and Their Negotiation Of Transience in Singapore”, Mobilities & Temporalities: Rethinking Migrant Trajectories and Transnational Lifestyles in the Asian Context, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 25-26 February 2016. (invited).
Catherine Gomes and David Coulter, “Responsibility and action: how international students choose their education journey in the digital age”, AIEC Conference, Adelaide Convention Centre, 6-9 October 2015.
Catherine Gomes and Paula Vigorelli, “Empowered International Students in the Global Job Market: English Language Skills for the Workplace,” CISA Conference “Celebrating Achievements, Together towards Tomorrow”, 6-9 July, Melbourne, 2015.
Catherine Gomes, “Casting the net wider: Coping with an increasingly diverse international student body,” APHERP Senior Seminar: Creating Cultures of Quality within Asia Pacific Higher Education Institutions, 18-20 May, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, 2015.
Catherine Gomes, “Identities, Communities and Cultures of Mobility: The Everyday Life of Transient Migrants in Australia and Singapore”, Shortcuts to Research Seminar Series, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, 11 March 2015.
Catherine Gomes, “Christianity as a Culture of Mobility”, Seminar, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 25 February 2015.
Catherine Gomes, “Living in an Exclusive Multinational Society: International Students in Australia and their Social Networks,” The 25th ISANA International Education Conference was held in Adelaide, South Australia, 2-6 December 2014 at the Adelaide Hilton.
Catherine Gomes, “The World is My Oyster: (Female) International Students in Australia and their Aspirations for Global Mobility,” Women in the Community: Power of the M.I.N.D., 27 February – 1 March 2014, Wee Kim Wee Centre, Singapore Management University, Singapore (invited). Read the abstract here.
Catherine Gomes, “Wah, I Really Miss the Food Man!”: Overseas Singaporeans and the Practice of their Singaporean Identity,” Wee Kim Wee Centre Wednesday Lunchtime Talks, 12 March, Singapore Management University, Singapore (invited).
Abstract: This paper unpacks the Singaporean identity as practiced overseas. Countries such as Australia, the US, Canada, the UK and Malaysia, for instance, are host to Singaporeans who live there permanently or temporarily for various reasons such as study, work or lifestyle. This paper suggests Singaporeans living abroad display their Singaporean-ness such as their love affair with hawker food, as a way of not only connecting back to the home nation and the Singaporean collective but also as an anchor that allows them to navigate their everyday lives overseas.
Catherine Gomes, “Parallel multiculturalism: Asian international students in Australia,” Multiculturalism and Asia International Workshop, 21-22 November 2013, Monash University. Read the abstract here.
Catherine Gomes, “The Role of Screen in Mapping Transient Identities,” Screen Cultures Seminar, 24 September 2013, RMIT University (invited).
Transient Migration in the Asia-Pacific: Identities, Social Networks and Media Symposium Collection