AN EXPLORATION OF THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE SOCIAL MOBILITY OF 'LEFT-BEHIND’ CHILDREN IN CHINA

Abstract

This research investigates the factors that influence the life trajectories of ‘successful’ left-behind children (LBC) in the context of internal migration in China. By focusing upon my sample who managed to attend university—a rare achievement in a population with a higher education participation rate of only 17.8% in 2020 (OECD, 2020)—this study offers a unique perspective on the mechanism between migration and mobility. My research explores the intersection of hukou status, social class, gender, and schooling that shape these children's experiences and trajectory to higher education (HE). Using a dual framework of Life History Theory and Life Course Approach, I conducted in-depth interviews with 32 LBC from both rural and urban areas, as well as 10 service providers, to understand how LBC perceive, experience, and navigate parental migration and broader structural changes. While rural and working-class LBC sample often framed their educational journey as a result of personal perseverance, their urban middle- and elite- class counterparts benefitted from greater informational and institutional resources. Despite the fact that every individual within my sample share similar educational outcomes, my research reveals variations in their strategies, aspirations and experiences to HE is heavily influenced by their socioeconomic background and gender dynamics. My research challenges the stigmatisation of LBC which pathologises their family background and the notion that they are consigned to poor academic/educational outcomes. Instead, I present the actions taken by those within my sample along with their family to respond to the structural biases imposed on them and achieve upward social mobility, namely: the hukou system and class stratification. By extending Bourdieu’s theoretical framework, this study emphasises the complex interaction between migration, mobility, and structural constraints in shaping educational and life outcomes for LBC ‘outliers’ in China.

Date of Award	5 Feb 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Andrew Miles (Main Supervisor) & Wendy Bottero (Co Supervisor)