Higher Education, Meritocracy and Inequality in China

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Education & Teaching, Higher Education
Cover of the book Higher Education, Meritocracy and Inequality in China by Ye Liu, Springer Singapore
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ye Liu ISBN: 9789811015885
Publisher: Springer Singapore Publication: October 8, 2016
Imprint: Springer Language: English
Author: Ye Liu
ISBN: 9789811015885
Publisher: Springer Singapore
Publication: October 8, 2016
Imprint: Springer
Language: English

This book investigates the changing opportunities in higher education for different social groups during China’s transition from the socialist regime to a market economy. The first part of the book provides a historical and comparative analysis of the development of the idea of meritocracy, since its early origins in China, and in more recent western thought. The second part then explores higher education reforms in China, the part played by supposedly meritocratic forms of selection, and the implications of these for social mobility. 

Based on original empirical data, Ye Liu sheds light on the socio-economic, gender and geographical inequalities behind the meritocratic façade of the Gaokao (高考). Liu argues that the Chinese philosophical belief in education-based meritocracy had a modern makeover in the Gaokao, and that this ideology induces working-class and rural students to believe in upward social mobility through higher education. When the Gaokao broke the promise of status improvement for rural students, they turned to the Chinese Communist Party and sought political connections by actively applying for its membership. This book reveals a bleak picture of visible and invisible inequality in terms of access to and participation in higher education in contemporary China. Written in an accessible style, it offers a valuable resource for researchers and non-specialist readers alike.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book investigates the changing opportunities in higher education for different social groups during China’s transition from the socialist regime to a market economy. The first part of the book provides a historical and comparative analysis of the development of the idea of meritocracy, since its early origins in China, and in more recent western thought. The second part then explores higher education reforms in China, the part played by supposedly meritocratic forms of selection, and the implications of these for social mobility. 

Based on original empirical data, Ye Liu sheds light on the socio-economic, gender and geographical inequalities behind the meritocratic façade of the Gaokao (高考). Liu argues that the Chinese philosophical belief in education-based meritocracy had a modern makeover in the Gaokao, and that this ideology induces working-class and rural students to believe in upward social mobility through higher education. When the Gaokao broke the promise of status improvement for rural students, they turned to the Chinese Communist Party and sought political connections by actively applying for its membership. This book reveals a bleak picture of visible and invisible inequality in terms of access to and participation in higher education in contemporary China. Written in an accessible style, it offers a valuable resource for researchers and non-specialist readers alike.

More books from Springer Singapore

Cover of the book Molecular Aspects of Plant-Pathogen Interaction by Ye Liu
Cover of the book Advances in Computational Intelligence by Ye Liu
Cover of the book The Development of BRIC and the Large Country Advantage by Ye Liu
Cover of the book Microorganisms for Green Revolution by Ye Liu
Cover of the book History, Features, and Typology of Language Corpora by Ye Liu
Cover of the book China’s Last Jesuit by Ye Liu
Cover of the book Cognitive Informatics and Soft Computing by Ye Liu
Cover of the book Contemporary Case Studies on Fashion Production, Marketing and Operations by Ye Liu
Cover of the book Multifunctional Nanoprobes by Ye Liu
Cover of the book Measuring Police Subcultural Perceptions by Ye Liu
Cover of the book Protein Reviews by Ye Liu
Cover of the book Methodology of Judicial Proof and Presumption by Ye Liu
Cover of the book Electro-Osmosis of Polymer Solutions by Ye Liu
Cover of the book The Making of China’s Peace with Japan by Ye Liu
Cover of the book Reconstruction of the Public Sphere in the Socially Mediated Age by Ye Liu
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy