Social Stratification and Studying Overseas: Empirical Evidence from Middle Schools in Beijing

Abstract

Through analyzing original survey data from 1012 ninth graders at 9 middle schools collected in Beijing in 2015 and adopting the frameworks of social stratification and Effectively Maintained Inequality, this study examines the differential in the choice of and access to such educational resources as studying overseas among different social strata in China. Particular attention is paid to students from those groups which are at an advantage in building networks and mobilizing social resources, namely high-ranking officials, wealthy business owners, and white-collar professionals. By analyzing how different social strata differ in their willingness and plan to study overseas, this empirical study has shown that studying overseas, which is considered an option for pursuing high-quality educational resources, has proven to be such a tool for advantaged social classes to maintain their status and for disadvantaged social classes to climb up the social ladder.