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The Influence of Social Capital and Intergenerational Mobility on University Students’ Sustainable Development in China

Author

Listed:
  • Chuang Bao

    (School of Insurance and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing 100029, China)

  • Yong Li

    (School of Law, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing 100029, China)

  • Xinmeng Zhao

    (School of Insurance and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing 100029, China)

Abstract

A person’s family of origin has a profound impact on his or her life; a student’s performance at university and their interpersonal skills are also influenced by the characteristics of their family. In order to explore how social capital and intergenerational mobility impact university students’ quality of interpersonal communication and experiences, whether there is a “Matthew effect” at the higher education level, how the external social capital and the parenting style within a family affect the comprehensive quality of university students separately, and how university students’ family characteristics impact their quality of interpersonal communication, which will in turn affect their performance at university, this paper starts from the perspective of social capital and intergenerational mobility, and uses the cross-sectional data of the China Family Tracking Survey (CFPS) from 2018 to conduct Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin analysis and logistic binary regression for 1037 university students nationwide, to check whether the selected variables can be subjected to principal component analysis. The results show that, on one hand, university students’ family characteristics have a significant positive impact on their quality of interpersonal communication; on the other hand, their family backgrounds also have significant impact on their academic performance and enthusiasm for participating in student unions, as well as part-time employment and internships. In addition, according to the results of the mediation test, interpersonal communication skills play a mediating role in the way that family characteristics impact students’ performance at university, including their participation in student organizations, as well as internships and part-time jobs. Finally, this paper, by referring to both theoretical and empirical analysis, presents relevant suggestions from the perspectives of the individual, family, and government, aiming to facilitate the sustainable development of university students.

Suggested Citation

  • Chuang Bao & Yong Li & Xinmeng Zhao, 2023. "The Influence of Social Capital and Intergenerational Mobility on University Students’ Sustainable Development in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:7:p:6118-:d:1113823
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Minh-Hoang Nguyen & Quy Van Khuc & Viet-Phuong La & Tam-Tri Le & Quang-Loc Nguyen & Ruining Jin & Phuong-Tri Nguyen & Quan-Hoang Vuong, 2022. "Mindsponge-Based Reasoning of Households’ Financial Resilience during the COVID-19 Crisis," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Guo, Juncong & Qu, Xi, 2022. "Competition in household human capital investments: Strength, motivations and consequences," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
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    Cited by:

    1. Roberta Pinna & Gianfranco Cicotto & Hosein Jafarkarimi, 2023. "Student’s Co-Creation Behavior in a Business and Economic Bachelor’s Degree in Italy: Influence of Perceived Service Quality, Institutional Image, and Loyalty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-20, June.
    2. Lihong Zhao & Jiaolong Ren & Lin Zhang & Hongbo Zhao, 2023. "Quantitative Analysis and Prediction of Academic Performance of Students Using Machine Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-18, August.
    3. Matejka Letnar & Klemen Širok, 2025. "The Role of Social Capital in Employability Models: A Systematic Review and Suggestions for Future Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-17, February.

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