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Cultural capital in migration: Academic achievements of Chinese migrant children in urban public schools

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  • Ma, Gaoming
  • Wu, Qiaobing

Abstract

The educational inequality faced by migrant children is a great social problem in China. The government has gradually reformed the hukou system, allowing migrant children to attend urban public schools. However, their academic achievements continue to lag behind those of urban non-migrant children. The classic explanation would point to a lack of social capital; this article argues for the importance of cultural capital in children’s migration. Drawing upon 10,417 middle school children (14–16 years old), this article examines cultural and social capital as mechanisms through which migration affects education. Results show that the lower academic achievements of Chinese migrant children is mainly due to the mediating effect of objectified cultural capital. Family social capital is also a significant mediator, but the indirect effect is relatively small. Most surprising is the contradictory effects of embodied and objectified cultural capital on academic achievements. Theoretical contributions and policy implications are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Ma, Gaoming & Wu, Qiaobing, 2020. "Cultural capital in migration: Academic achievements of Chinese migrant children in urban public schools," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:116:y:2020:i:c:s0190740920304576
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105196
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ma, Gaoming & Wu, Qiaobing, 2019. "Social capital and educational inequality of migrant children in contemporary China: A multilevel mediation analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 165-171.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tang, Zequn & Wang, Ning, 2021. "School disruption of children in China: The influence of parents’ rural–urban migration," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    2. Claudia Meroni & Veronica Velasco, 2023. "School-Based Interventions for Migrant Students in the Framework of the Health Promoting Whole-School Approach: An Umbrella Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-29, January.
    3. Qifan Ding & Qiaobing Wu, 2023. "Effects of Economic Capital, Cultural Capital and Social Capital on the Educational Expectation of Chinese Migrant Children," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(3), pages 1407-1432, June.
    4. Ru Chen & Xin Chen, 2023. "Latent Profile Analysis of the Positive Development of Migrant Adolescents: the Roles of Family Capital and Resilience," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(4), pages 1733-1754, August.
    5. Shuheng Yu & Liu Hong & Gaoming Ma, 2023. "The Mediation of Exam-oriented Cultural Capital: Economic Capital and Educational Inequality of Chinese High School Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic and School Closures," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(3), pages 1189-1204, June.

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