Meritocracy and the Gaokao
A survey study of higher education selection and socio-economic participation in East China
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11166409 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ye Liu (0000-0003-1002-0358, Bath Spa University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2013 |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue | 5-6 |
| Pages | 868-887 |
| Publication date | 2013-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | British Journal of Sociology of Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0142-5692 • E-ISSN: 1465-3346 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/01425692.2013.816237 |
| OpenAlex | W2064205465 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 51 |
| References cited | 30 |
Meritocracy is a powerful ideology that was used by the Chinese Communist Party during China’s transition to a market economy. With the Gaokao in particular, higher education selection became an ideal vehicle for the Party to associate itself with the ideology of meritocracy. This article investigates the extent to which higher education selection was based on meritocratic principles in contemporary China. A survey study involving around 960 first-year students was conducted in 2007 in two provinces. The statistical analysis did not suggest a strong socio-economic selection. However, a cultural selectivity was indicated in predicting students’ Gaokao performance as well as their chances of getting into elite universities. Socio-demographic factors appeared to be more significant than socio-economic status in affecting students’ higher education opportunities
China · Communism · Economic growth · Economics · Elite · Higher education · Ideology · Meritocracy · Political science · Politics · Selection (genetic algorithm · Social science · Sociology · China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance · Global Educational Reforms and Inequalities · Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies · Law
Socioeconomic Status and Academic Outcomes in Developing Countries
When academic achievement (also) reflects personality
Teamwork Made in China
Wenhua dacai (great cultural talent)
Decoding Signals
‘A cultured man is not a tool’
Constructing false consciousness
Understanding the intention of Chinese parents to enroll their children in early enrichment programs – A social media perspective
From Alien Labor to Meritorious Citizen
Vocational education
Stepping into the labour market from the VET sector in China
Student agency of Chinese first-generation college students in transition to elite universities
Higher education expansion and inequality in educational opportunities in China
Reconceptualising fair access to highly academically selective universities
Revisiting symbolic power and elite language education in China
The reproduction of regional inequality through university access
Private Tutoring Classes and Emotional Well-Being in China
Meritocracy, policy and pedagogy
The effect of academic performance, individualistic and collectivistic orientation on Chinese youth’s adjustment
From optimism to disillusionment
The making of ‘exam ronins
You Are No Longer Your Past Self
Gain by losing
Rural-urban gap and career preparation trajectories in a Chinese elite university
The education of migrant children in Shanghai
Social equity and equity in higher education
Departing from the beaten path
Where do opportunity beliefs come from? Implications of intergenerational social mobility for beliefs about the distribution system in China
The use of ‘literary talent
Meritocratic lifelong learning
Can meritocracy replace democracy? A conceptual framework
The impact of socioeconomic status on self-determined learning motivation
Cultural capital and elite university attendance in China
Upskilling the workforce? A critical analysis of national skills policies in China’s Reform Era
They are bad seeds’
Why study abroad? Sorting of Chinese students across British universities
The role of institutional reputation in mediating post-PhD careers. The case of Chinese elite universities
Student ambassadors
Mapping overseas education through local lens
Exploring conceptualisations of vocational education in China
The association between family socioeconomic status and urban–rural and high‐school attainment gaps
The rise of education‐featured gated communities in Chinese cities
How Did the Covid-19 Pandemic Exacerbate the Digital Divide at Secondary Education
Decolonising meritocratic higher education
Pioneers at start-up universities
Transnationalization of Educational Aspirations
Science or liberal arts? Cultural capital and college major choice in China
Expansion of higher education and inequality of opportunities
Educational optimism in China
Stupid and lazy' youths? Meritocratic discourse and perceptions of popular stereotyping of VET students in China
Unfulfilled Promise of Educational Meritocracy? Academic Ability and China's Urban-Rural Gap in Access to Higher Education
The rise of the meritocracy, 1870-2033
Europe Undivided
Geography and educational inequality in China
Education as a Political Tool in Asia
Meritocracy and Economic Inequality
Bureaucrats in Business, Chinese-Style
The IQ Meritocracy Reconsidered
Patterns of Social Inequalities in Access to Higher Education in France and Germany
One Country, Two Societies
The coming of post-industrial society
Brief History of Neoliberalism
Education and Reform in China
Intergenerational class mobility in contemporary Britain
How far merit selection? Social stratification and the labour market1
Socialism and the Chinese Peasant Family
How Far to Meritocracy? Empirical Tests of a Controversial Thesis
Maximally Maintained Inequality
Inequality of Opportunity in Comparative Perspective
Market Transition and Societal Transformation in Reforming State Socialism
Field of Study and Students' Stratification in an Expanded System of Higher Education
Late Industrialization and the Increased Merit Selection Hypothesis. Ireland as a Test Case
Class, Mobility and Merit The Experience of Two British Birth Cohorts
Effectively Maintained Inequality
Career Advancement as Party Patronage
| Unique citing works | 51 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4,64 |
| Citation span | 2015 - 2026 (12) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 51 |