A life course perspective on disability
Education-to-work transitions of people with visual impairments in China
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13076109 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Minjie Chen (0000-0002-0794-8561, University of Nottingham, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Pages | 1627946-1627946 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-12 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2297-7775 • E-ISSN: 2297-7775 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1627946 |
| PMID | 41311880 |
| OpenAlex | W4416126328 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 19 |
This study adopts a life course perspective to investigate the educational and career trajectories of 26 individuals with visual impairments in China, with a focus on transitions into education and work. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews with participants recruited via snowball sampling from urban and rural areas, thematic analysis identified five patterns of education-to-work transitions, guided by life course principles. Findings reveal delayed educational transitions, high dropout rates (53.88% during compulsory education), and predominant entry into the tuina (Chinese medicine massage) industry due to societal stereotypes and structural constraints. Urban participants accessed non-massage skills through family support, enabling diverse careers, while rural participants faced financial pressures to pursue tuina for stability, illustrating the principle of linked lives. The study contributes to Chinese disability studies by applying life course theory in a non-Western context, highlighting interactions between timing, sequence, agency, and social forces. Policy implications include expanding inclusive preschool access, mainstream school accommodations, and diverse tertiary programs to broaden career options and challenge vocational stereotypes. Future research should prioritize women with visual impairments to address gender disparities in educational access
China · Focus group · Life course approach · Mainstream · Perspective (graphical · Qualitative research · Snowball sampling · Thematic analysis · Vocational education · Disability Education and Employment · Disability Rights and Representation · Ophthalmology and Visual Impairment Studies
Transitions and Turning Points in Developmental Psychopathology
Growing Up is Harder to do
The Emergence and Development of Life Course Theory
Are We There Yet? Data Saturation in Qualitative Research
Understanding the body and disability in Chinese contexts
Preschool quality and child development in China
Pathways to Adulthood in Changing Societies
The Life Course as Developmental Theory
Time, Human Agency, and Social Change
Disability and the Transition to Adulthood
How Many Interviews Are Enough
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |