Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Research in Humanities and Social Sciences
Year: 2024
DOI:
[PDF]
Global Learning, Local Privilege: Inheritable Higher Education Inequality in China’s New Middle Class
Xiaowen Zhang
ABSTRACT:
Under the transformation towards a more capitalised society, China has seen a remarkably increasing number of students choosing international higher education. Although Western scholars have extensively researched class inequality in education, the influences of the rapidly evolving societal changes in the Chinese context have not been considered. Most studies in China focused on the quantitative trends of class mobility, overlooking individual experiences and perceptions of inheritable class inequality. This research investigates the intergenerational transfer of class privileges within China’s newly emerging middle class, particularly through international higher education experiences. Drawing upon Bourdieu’s capital theory and situated within the neoliberalisation of the higher education market, this study explores how the second generation of the Chinese new middle class experienced and perceived their inherited privileges. By interviewing 15 students born in the 1990s and 2000s. who have been raised in China and experienced UK higher education and 5 counterparts with domestic higher education experiences only, this research utilises thematic analysis to provide nuanced insights into the capital transfer processes and the evolution of risk-management strategies across generations. The intergenerational transfer of economic, cultural, and social capital in China’s new middle-class families is evident through financial sponsorship of international higher education, immersion of family negotiation and workplace culture, and support from parents’ domestic networks. Additionally, findings suggest that the conservativeness and overly risk-averse attitudes rooted in Confucian culture may impede personal development by discouraging individuals from studying or living abroad. This research engages with existing literature, offers policy recommendations for higher education amidst China’s transition from a planned to a market-oriented economy, and highlights the potential for increasing educational inequalities in contemporary Chinese society.
keywords: Class, International Higher Education, China