Session Information
99 ERC SES 03 I, Communities, Families, and Schooling in Educational Research
Paper Session
Contribution
‘School choice fever’, or the over-heated competition for school choice, has become one of the most pressing concerns of Chinese society. Parents rush to get their children into top schools to give them an edge on a series of entrance examinations. The huge school choice fees and high-priced school district housing turned school choice-making into a game of power and money, which adds a heavy burden on the low- or middle-income families (Wu, 2013). Such fervent competition is believed to have corrupted the educational system and reproduced the social class inequalities (e.g., Liu and Apple, 2016; Zhou et al., 2020). In recent years, the school choice fever has spread from large and medium- sized cities to counties and rural areas of China, where quality educational resources are in striking shortage compared to urban areas. Though school choice is vital for rural families, previous research suggests many of them cannot choose the school they desired due to the restrictions of policies and their lack of economic, social resources.
Bourdieu's theory has been widely applied to school choice research across various context, offering a theoretical framework for understanding the differential school-choosing experiences undergone by families with different SES, the perceptions of school choice policy by parents, and the link between school choice and social reproduction (Ball & Gewirtz, 1997; Khalil & Kelly, 2020; Yoon, 2020). Applying Bourdieu's theory to China's school choice situation is especially relevant given the increasing demand for educational opportunities and the imbalanced distribution of educational resources, which particularly hinders lower socioeconomic status families from meeting their educational needs.
Though Bourdieu’s theory has been widely applied in school choice studies across the world, previous analysis is mainly focused on the middle class and urban contexts, lacking explanations for the motivations of, and strategies used by rural parents, who are generally in lower socioeconomic status in China (Lu & Chen, 2004). Researching the school choice of disadvantaged groups is crucial for understanding the reproduction of social inequalities and protecting the rights of education for marginalised children.Therefore, this ethnographic research aims to fill the gap by investigating Chinese rural families’ school choice. The research aspires to answer the following questions:
- How do rural families articulate their motivations, experiences, and decision-making processes regarding school choice?
- Are there any difference in making school choice among rural families of different socio-economic status?
- What types of support do rural families find beneficial in making school choice decisions?
Method
The study adopts an ethnographic approach, allowing for a deep, contextual understanding of the decision-making processes among rural families regarding school choice. The research was conducted in three distinct yet interconnected sites within B City, Anhui Province: L Village, L Town Centre, and the urban district of B City. This multi-site design allows for a comprehensive cross-sectional analysis, offering insights into varying socio-economic contexts and their influence on school choice behavior, thus shedding light on urban-rural disparities. Analysis of policy documents was carried out to provide a comprehensive background for the study. On October 1st 2023, I arrived at L Village situated in L Town, B City, commencing my fieldwork. I resided in the home of a local resident who owned a small village store. The room I live in is on the second floor of the store, which is strategically located at the corner of the village's central street. Benefiting from this location, this store served as an informal hub of the local community, with many villagers stopping by to chat or shop, thereby creating an ideal setting for gathering information. Purposive sampling, specifically maximum variation sampling, was employed to select a diverse range of participants based on socio-economic backgrounds and geographical locations. The primary participants are families with children aged 11-14, transitioning from primary to secondary education. The sampling expanded through snowballing techniques, ensuring a broad spectrum of perspectives. Data collection primarily involves semi-structured, in-depth interviews, aimed at understanding the 'why' and 'how' of school choice decisions. These interviews delve into participants' perceptions of policies and the challenges they face. The participants of the first- and second-round data collection (Oct 2023 to January 2024) included 40 parents, 8 grandparents, 22 children, and 15 teachers, totalling 85 individuals mainly from the above three locations. Following this, the one-year, longitudinal participant observation within selected families will offer a 'thick description' of the educational decision-making process, highlighting daily consultations, compromises, and conflicts inherent in these choices. The data collected will be analysed using thematic analysis.
Expected Outcomes
This study aims to shed light on the intricate dynamics of school choice in rural China, exploring the interplay of socio-economic factors, family dynamics, and educational choices. The initial data collection reveals a complex scenario where socio-economic status prominently influences school choice. Particularly notable is the strategic utilisation of cultural and social capital by rural school teachers to secure optimal educational environment for their children. This strategy starkly contrasts with the challenges faced by economically and socially disadvantaged families in accessing quality education. Moreover, the fervent pursuit of making school chocie is found to be intricately linked to the pressures of an exam-oriented educational system. This system fosters pervasive intergenerational pressures, with parents and grandparents (especially those caring for left-behind children) placing high academic expectations on children. These pressures often result in heavy academic loads and profound impacts on children’s mental health, exacerbated by their awareness of the sacrifices made by their families in their educational journey. An intriguing finding is the divergent attitudes towards school types among rural families. While there is a strong preference for private schools and a general aversion to rural public schools, a notable discord exists between parents’ favoring of boarding schools and children’s resistance to them. This disparity not only underscores the varied perceptions and values linked to different educational institutions but also highlights the unique needs of rural families, such as the need for full-boarding school with closed campus management due to parental migration for work. In conclusion, this study offers a detailed perspective on the factors shaping educational choices in rural China, providing crucial insights for educators, policymakers, and families. The findings underscore the need for policies that resonate with the realities of rural communities, paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable educational system in China.
References
Ball, S. J., & Gewirtz, S. (1997). Is Research Possible? A rejoinder to Tooley’s ‘On School Choice and Social Class ‘. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 18(4), 575–586. Khalil, L., & Kelly, A. (2020). The practice of choice-making: Applying Bourdieu to the field of international schooling. Journal of Research in International Education, 19(2), 137–154. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475240920954045 Liu, S., & Apple, M. W. (2016). Parental Choice of School, Class Strategies, and Educational Inequality: An Essay Review of School Choice in China—A Different Tale?(X. Wu, New York, NY: Routledge, 2014, 168 pp. ISBN 978-0-415-81769-1). Educational Policy, 30(6), 940–955. Lu, M., & Chen, Z. (2004). Urbanization, Urban-Biased Economic Policies and Urban-Rural Inequality [J]. Economic Research Journal, 6(5), 50–58. Reay, D. (1996). Contextualising Choice: Social Power and Parental Involvement. British Educational Research Journal, 22(5), 581–596. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1501671 Wu, X. (2013). School choice in China: A different tale? Routledge. Yoon, E.-S. (2020). School Choice Research and Politics with Pierre Bourdieu: New Possibilities. Educational Policy, 34(1), 193–210. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904819881153 Zhou, X., Mau, A., & Jordan, L. (2020). Gaming the no-choice system? School choice and persistent educational inequality in China. Research Papers in Education, 1–19.
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