On the Balance of China’s Educational Development from the Perspective of Cultural Reproduction

Abstract

Bourdieu's theory of cultural reproduction has significant implications for the study of educational inequality between urban and rural China. Firstly, the article analyses the impact of economic capital, which mainly includes an analysis of the income gap between urban and rural areas leading to different affordability of tuition fees, which further affects the issue of enrolment and dropout rates in rural areas. In addition, this section suggests that the post-university careers of rural children are limited by family background. Secondly, the article looks at the role of cultural capital in education, discussing the differences in access to art lessons between rural and urban areas, and the significant differences in teaching conditions and teacher qualifications between rural and urban areas. Furthermore, the issue of the lack of participation of rural children in out-of-school programs is also raised. Finally, the article considers the role of social capital in education, finding differences in the networking of children's families between urban and rural areas, differences in the ability of parents to mentor children, and exploring differences in the attitudes of urban and rural children towards club activities at university. By analyzing the concepts of economic capital, cultural capital and social capital and the impact they exert on education, the article concludes that there is inequality in education between urban and rural China and that it also has a significant negative impact on rural children.