How Does the Disparity in School Readiness Between Urban and Rural Pre-school Children in China Associate with Inequality? - A Bourdieuian Analysis

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-092-3_75How to use a DOI?

Keywords

School Readiness; Urban-rural inequality; Bourdieu; Social reproduction

Abstract

The significant gaps in education between urban and rural areas in China, which are evident before children even commence formal schooling, are regarded as the primary driver of educational inequality in China. The promotion of equal school readiness serves as a means to alleviate inequality and break the poverty cycle. This article examines the relationship between the differences and inequalities in school readiness among urban and rural pre-school children in China. Using Bourdieu’s framework, the article first discusses how disparities in family background, resources, and opportunities between urban and rural areas result in unequal school readiness among pre-school children in China. It reveals that through the interaction of habitus, fields, and various forms of capital, differences in school readiness between urban and rural pre-school children in China become evident, with urban children showing significantly better school readiness. Furthermore, the article uses Bourdieu’s theory of cultural reproduction to explain how inequality in school readiness reinforces social and cultural reproduction. It finds that the disadvantage in educational starting points affects the academic success and social mobility of rural children, leading to broader social inequality. By identifying the root causes of this inequality, the article provides valuable insights for initiatives aimed at promoting equality in education which is particularly important in China.

Copyright

© 2023 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Di Zhao
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/09/09
TI  - How Does the Disparity in School Readiness Between Urban and Rural Pre-school Children in China Associate with Inequality? - A Bourdieuian Analysis
BT  - Proceedings of the 2023 9th International Conference on Humanities and Social Science Research (ICHSSR 2023)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 621
EP  - 630
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-092-3_75
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-092-3_75
ID  - Zhao2023
ER  -