Educational Stratification Research Articles

Cultural capital, standardised testing and East Asian education: The transposition of disposition of Taiwanese elite students

Cultural capital has been an essential concept for educational stratification research. While several studies suggest that in East Asian educational contexts, cultural capital may exhibit less emphasis on aesthetics, there remains a need for in-depth exploration of such orientation. To fill this gap, this article examines non-aesthetic subspecies of cultural capital by exploring how standardised testing, a predominant educational institution in East Asia, shapes a distinct embodied cultural capital – a pragmatic learning disposition. We examine two cases where Taiwanese academically elite high school students adapt their standardised testing-driven dispositions to distinct contexts: a different activity domain and an alternative educational field. The first explores how elite students transpose the disposition shaped by standardised testing to their participation in rock music activities. Our research reveals that their academic learning experiences fostered a disposition for honing precise exam skills, which influenced the trajectory of their musical taste development, along with the accumulation of technical capital. The second case involves elite students experienced in open-ended mathematics competitions, who later enrol in French preparatory classes for admission to French grandes écoles. These students have difficulty shedding their pragmatic disposition, which is deeply rooted in standardised testing, but hardly suits the French preparatory class. Disposition transposition and its hysteresis effect across contexts can serve as a useful methodological tool for cultural capital studies, enabling an exploration of emerging technical subspecies of cultural capital and the associated pragmatic dispositions, thereby shedding light on the diverse relationships among students’ subspecies of embodied cultural capital.

Research on Social Stratification in Brazil

ABSTRACTBrazil, as the most unequal and populous country in Latin America, demands a closer examination of its patterns and trends of social stratification. With an emphasis on recent contributions, the paper reviews the literature on four major areas of stratification research: race relations and inequality, educational stratification, intergenerational mobility, and income inequality. The literature on racial stratification focuses on the following subjects: racial classification, discrimination, marital selectivity, educational stratification, and intergenerational mobility. In addition, educational stratification literature concerning trends and patterns is reviewed with special attention to studies advanced by sociologists of social stratification. Intergenerational mobility studies are also presented and discussed. Finally, studies on income and wealth inequality are reviewed. In all these areas the contribution of sociologists is highlighted, and trends and patterns of stratification are presented.

Problem Solving Learning in Science Education: A Systematic Literature Review

This study aims to describe the application of problem solving in the learning process and describes the technique of forming groups that are carried out in learning. This study uses the Systematic Literature Review method, which focuses on reviewing and analyzing broadly and thoroughly some of the literature that is relevant to the research topic. The stages carried out in this research are clarification and approach; search, filter, and select; analysis and interpretation; draft articles; and dissemination. Literature data used as the main source in this study were 15 articles from Scopus-indexed Springer within a period of 6 years (2018-2023). The articles analyzed examined problem solving skills ranging from junior high school to university. The results showed problem solving research was carried out individually and in groups, and most research was done through groups. The technique of forming groups is carried out by paying attention to the background, results of initial ability tests in individual rounds, pretest, and educational strata. The steps taken in learning problem solving are: orientation of students to problems; group formation; carrying out investigative activities to solve problems; discussing and reviewing problem solving strategies in groups; making presentations; and the teacher providing feedback.

Enrichment in colleges after COVID: spaces for agency and/or cultural reproduction

ABSTRACT A longitudinal study of enrichment across post-16 colleges in England and Wales illustrates the possibilities and limitations of colleges’ societal and cultural impact. Over a four-year study, these activities outside subject curricula, widely intended to compensate for the mobilisation of cultural capital by students in privileged settings, increased in salience whilst responding to post-pandemic crises; but differed across settings in their aims and organisation, including the agency afforded to staff and students. This paper explores these differences, in the context of a longstanding theorisation of colleges as sites of social reproduction interruptible only outside the technical sphere, whilst drawing on contemporary understandings of structure, agency and stratification. Whilst analysis of survey and case study data suggests broad association of general education spaces with agentic enrichment practices, alongside vocational enrichment overlapping technical curricula or generic ‘support’, we suggest that contestation over the aims and content of enrichment takes place in the context of a hierarchical terrain of post-16 institutions and broader societal and policy developments unfolding over time. We argue that authentic and socially just enrichment requires its extension to the interests and agency of students across educational pathways, in contradistinction to the currently deepening stratification of post-16 education in England.

Racialized Horizontal Stratification in US Higher Education: Politics, Process, and Consequences

In this review, we integrate three bodies of scholarship—education stratification research, political-historical sociology of higher education, and sociological theories of race and racism—to understand the production of “separate and unequal” postsecondary experiences for racially marginalized college students in the United States. We argue that the US postsecondary system is plural, heterogeneous, and stratified partly as a result of hundreds of years of contested efforts to deploy higher education in the service of white supremacy and capital accumulation. Organizational stratification of higher education along racial lines leads to horizontal stratification in individual experiences within the same level of schooling, and even within the same university. We review literature on racialized sorting between schools, which channels racially marginalized students to different parts of the postsecondary system relative to their racially advantaged peers. We also describe stratification within schools, as students are tracked, often by race, into divergent academic and social pathways internal to a single university. Both types of sorting have racial consequences for students’ career trajectories, economic security, and well-being. Finally, we detail recent efforts to challenge horizontal stratification, responses to those efforts, and avenues for future research.

Decision Support System For Manager Placement In The Plantation Industry Using Topsis Method

Accuracy in placing employees determines the performance of a company. Likewise done by PT XYZ in determining the placement of managers in the plantation industry by using a decision support system. This is done in order to minimize the level of subjectivity of the manager placement determination system at PT XYZ. This research aims to provide alternative preference values to prospective employees who will occupy manager positions in the plantation industry. The method used in the placement of managers with a decision support system is the technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method. The criteria used in this method are 7 criteria taken based on the criteria for BUMN talent management according to the Regulation of the Minister of BUMN Number PER-3 / MBU / 03/2023, these criteria are Professional Work Period, Variety of Work Experience, Managerial Competence, Technical Competence, Educational Strata, Performance Assessment Results, Level of Punishment that has been received. The results of this study are from the results of the calculation analysis through the TOPSIS method on 7 alternatives, then there is name number 5 managed to get the best score of 0.80 and was determined as a preference to be placed in class A garden.

Consequences of age and education correction of cognitive screening tests - A simulation study of the MoCA test in Italy.

Cognitive screening tools are widely used in clinical practice to screen for age-related cognitive impairment and dementia. These tools' test scores are known to be influenced by age and education, leading to routine correction of raw scores for these factors. Despite these corrections being common practice, there is evidence suggesting that corrected scores may perform worse in terms of discrimination than raw scores. To address the ongoing debate in the field of dementia research, we assessed the impact of the corrections on discrimination, specificity, and sensitivity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test in Italy, both for the overall population and across age and education strata. We created a realistic model of the resident population in Italy in terms of age, education, cognitive impairment and test scores, and performed a simulation study. We confirmed that the discrimination performance was higher for raw scores than for corrected scores in discriminating patients with cognitive impairment from individuals without (areas under the curve of 0.947 and 0.923 respectively). With thresholds determined on the overall population, raw scores showed higher sensitivities for higher-risk age-education groups and higher specificities for lower-risk groups. Conversely, corrected scores showed uniform sensitivity and specificity across demographic strata, and thus better performance for certain age-education groups. Raw and corrected scores show different performances due to the underlying causal relationships between the variables. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages, the optimal choice between raw and corrected scores depends on the aims and preferences of practitioners and policymakers.

From “transitions” to “trajectories”: towards a holistic interactionistic analysis of educational inequality in contemporary China

This study employs sequence analysis to explore the educational pathways of individuals born in China between 1976 and 1988, a cohort that witnessed substantial educational expansion. The study constructs a typology for classifying these educational trajectories and quantifies the prevalence of each category within the cohort. Utilizing decision tree analysis, the study investigates the relationship between different educational pathways and various background characteristics. Unlike the “waning coefficients” commonly observed in Mare model and its variants, this approach unveils the substantial influence of cumulative advantage and disadvantage in shaping educational trajectories, a process heavily impacted by individuals’ social backgrounds. Despite some exceptions and complexities, several discernible patterns become apparent. For instance, individuals hailing from rural settings generally exhibit a decreased likelihood of progressing along superior educational trajectories throughout their academic endeavors when juxtaposed with their urban counterparts. Moreover, elevated levels of parental education persistently enhance children’s prospects for accessing superior educational pathways, irrespective of their urban or rural origins. This methodology serves as a valuable instrument for scrutinizing the general features and diversity of educational trajectories, providing a complementary perspective to existing research on educational stratification and inequality.

The European Universities Initiative: further stratification in the pursuit of European cooperation?

ABSTRACT The European Commission’s flagship European Universities Initiative (EUI) announced in 2017 laid out a novel regional approach to internationalisation by promoting the establishment of integrated transnational networks of universities, or alliances. Launched in consecutive pilot rounds, the EUI provided a fixed-sum grant to each alliance with the expectation that participating institutions and national governments co-fund their activities. Given the hierarchical structure of the European higher education space and varying national support for the Initiative, capacities of institutions to participate appear both unequal and exclusionary. This study draws on documentary evidence and interviews with EUI alliance representatives, exploring accounts from three distinct alliances from the 2019 pilot round. With nuances between the examined cases, it argues that the design of the EUI, intended as a vehicle for enhancing cooperation and excellence, intensifies vertical stratification of European higher education by supporting relatively advantaged institutions with respect to international partnership opportunities and resources.

Determinants of ChatGPT Use and its Impact on Learning Performance: An Integrated Model of BRT and TPB

The rapid emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) heralds a significant shift, opening new frontiers in how education is delivered. This groundbreaking wave of technological advancement is poised to redefine traditional learning, promising to enhance the educational landscape with unprecedented levels of personalized learning and accessibility. Despite GAI’s progressive infiltration into various educational strata, limited empirical research exists on its impact on students’ learning performance. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT), this study investigates the determinants affecting students’ use of ChatGPT and its influence on learning performance. The data were collected from 357 university students and were analyzed using the PLS-SEM technique. The results supported the role of ChatGPT in positively affecting students’ learning performance. In addition, the results showed that reasons for and against adoption are pivotal in shaping students’ attitudes. ChatGPT use is found to be significantly affected by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Besides the theoretical contributions, the findings offer various implications for stakeholders and underscore the necessity for educational institutions to foster a conducive environment for GAI adoption, addressing ethical and technical concerns to optimize learning experiences.

Comparative Study on the Stratification of Education between Urban and Rural Areas in China

Comparative Study on the Stratification of Education between Urban and Rural Areas in China

Is personal income associated with attitudes towards climate change risk? A moderated mediation analysis for the UK from 2009 to 2020

AbstractThis study investigates the effect of personal income on attitudes towards climate change risk, considering the mediator of responsibility attribution (RA) for climate change and the moderator of educational attainment. Using a latent growth curve model applied to data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study dataset from 2009 to 2020, this study indicated that personal income growth heightens the likelihood of expressing concern about climate change while reducing the propensity for holding sceptical or paradoxical attitudes over time. Attributing climate change to personal behaviour mediated the income‐attitude relationship. Significant differences in the mediation effect were observed between individuals who had received a university education and those who had not, even after controlling for covariates such as age, sex, political affiliation and employment status. These findings suggest that climate campaign emphasising RA can address attitude disparities across income and education strata, further promoting sustainable climate action and mitigation.

Association of cardiovascular health and educational status in a screening cohort.

The global burden of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, remains a significant public health challenge. The Life's Simple 7 (LS7) score was developed as a tool to evaluate cardiovascular health behaviours and habits and identify high-risk individuals. The present study aimed to assess the distribution of LS7 scores among educational strata. The study population consisted of 3,383 asymptomatic individuals screened for colorectal cancer at a single centre in Austria. We split patients into lower (n = 1,055), medium (n = 1,997), and higher (n = 331) education, based on the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). Cox regression models were utilized to determine the association between education and mortality over a median follow-up period of 7 years. Individuals with higher educational status had a significantly higher prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health metrics, as defined by the LS7 score, compared to those with medium and lower educational status: n = 94 (28%) vs. n = 347 (17%) and n = 84 (8%), respectively, (p < 0.001). In the Cox regression analysis, both medium (HR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.43-0.84, p < 0.001) and higher educational status (HR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.19-1.01, p = 0.06) were associated with all-cause mortality, as was the LS7. Our findings highlight a significant association between lower educational status and poorer cardiovascular health, as assessed by LS7, which persisted even after multivariable adjustment. Additionally, both educational status and LS7 were associated with increased mortality, underscoring the significance of our results. These findings have important implications for public health, as screening and prevention strategies may need to be tailored to meet the diverse educational backgrounds of individuals, given the higher prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours among those with lower educational status.

The proliferation of international schools: implications for educational stratification

ABSTRACT This article applies positional conflict theory to investigate how the proliferation of international schools can create a new layer of educational stratification and deepen inequality of opportunity. Data from five international schools in metropolitan centres across southern China were collected through interviews, school visits, and a survey. The findings demonstrate how international schooling can enable local middle-class students to accumulate distinctive forms of positional advantages that are geared towards global higher education and careers in the global economy. The implications are threefold: (1) demonstrating how international schools can exacerbate educational divides, (2) revealing the nature of advantages created by international schooling, and (3) illuminating how international schooling can reposition students in a global class structure while potentially creating barriers within local/national contexts. The article concludes by calling for more critical attention to the ongoing expansion of international schools.

Unpacking the Gap: Socioeconomic Background and the Stratification of College Applications in the United States

While a substantial body of work has shown that higher-SES students tend to apply to more selective colleges than their lower-SES counterparts, we know relatively less about why students differ in their application behavior. In this study, we draw upon a sociological approach to educational stratification to unpack the SES-based gap in college application selectivity. Using data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, we examine the contribution of theoretical factors to the class-based gap in the selectivity of college applications. Namely, from the rational action model we estimate the contribution of performance differentials and choice differentials, while from the status attainment model we look at the level and type of educational expectations as well as the number of applications submitted. Through a series of Heckman selection models, as well as a Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis, we can explain 85% of the gap in college application selectivity between students in the top and bottom SES quintiles. In turn, we estimate that 60% of this explained portion is due to rational action mechanisms such as grades and test scores while 35% is due to status attainment mechanisms. Finally, we reveal that SES moderates the relationship between type of expectations and application selectivity. We find that the payoff to higher expectations (in terms of selective applications) disproportionately accrues to higher-SES students.

The obesity challenge in joint replacement: a multifaceted analysis of self-reported health status and exercise capacity using NHANES data - a population-based study.

Joint replacement is successful for end-stage osteopathy, with obesity linked to evaluated risk. But the impact of obesity on self-reported health and exercise capacity among joint replacement patients remains complex and requires investigation. This study utilizes data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to examine the relationship between obesity severity, demographic factors, medical comorbidities, and self-reported health status. The relationship between general health status and BMI was analyzed using multivariable regression, and further illustrated using a restricted cubic spline. Additionally, a bibliometric analysis and systemic review was done to frame the research within the broader context of existing knowledge and demographic specifics. Analysis of NHANES data involving 327 joint replacement patients yielded intriguing insights. The difference in self-reported health between BMI groups did not achieve conventional statistical significance (P=0.06), and multivariable analysis showed that even severely obese patients did not exhibit significantly elevated risk of poor/fair self-reported health compared to normal weight subjects. Among severely obese individuals (BMI>40), 40.63% still rated their health positively. However, stratified analyses indicated that obesity correlated with negative health reports across gender, age, and education strata. Notably, physical functioning emerged as a robust predictor of self-reported health, with those reporting no walking difficulties having significantly lower odds of poor/fair health (Odds Ratio=0.37, P=0.01). The study highlights the need for healthcare providers to consider individual physical abilities and comorbidities alongside obesity severity when discussing treatment options with joint replacement patients. It supports tailored interventions and informed shared decision-making. Future research could explore effective weight management strategies for obese individuals undergoing joint replacement.

Who earns the iron rice bowl? Major marketability and state sector jobs among college-educated workers in urban China

In China, state sector employees enjoy a persistent organizational premium, but surprisingly few studies have examined which college-educated workers tend to work in the state sector. In this study, we focus on one key dimension in horizontal stratification in higher education—field of study—to examine patterns of state sector employment among college-educated workers in China according to the occupational specificity and profit orientation of their college majors. Using data from three nationally representative surveys in urban China, we find that college graduates majoring in less occupationally specific and less profitable fields (i.e. those with lower marketability) are more likely to work in the state sector, and this pattern is more pronounced during the later period of marketization reform. Moreover, family resources in the form of a father working in the state sector can weaken the field-to-sector association, and we observe greater intergenerational mobility into state sector employment among college graduates majoring in fields with lower marketability. These findings highlight the field-to-sector relationship as a unique mechanism of China's horizontal stratification in higher education and school-to-work transition. They also underscore the significance of considering organizational contexts when examining the educational stratification in labor market outcomes.

The financial dimension of organizational stratification in European higher education

This article contributes to the knowledge on organizational stratification in higher education by exploring its financial dimension in 21 European countries over the period 2013–2017. Cross-country differences in the inequality of revenues among higher education institutions are considerable. Decomposing inequality indices shows that they are related to the various degrees of institutional diversity in size, research activity, and subject specialization. Financial stratification is higher in countries where revenues are more unequally distributed among universities involved in research, especially those with a broad disciplinary focus. This inequality is in turn driven by the role of third-party funding in higher education financing.

Analyzing the Relationship between Online Purchasing Behavior and Levels of Educational Attainment in the Slovak Republic

Objective - The global surge in internet purchases drives economic growth and contributes significantly to developed countries' improved living standards. Methodology/Technique - This unprecedented e-commerce boom, facilitated by the convenience of round-the-clock online shopping, has reshaped consumer behavior. Within this landscape, educational level emerges as a prominent demographic determinant influencing online purchasing patterns. The Slovak Republic has experienced an upward trajectory in internet purchases across various educational segments, highlighting a growing preference for online shopping experiences. Findings – However, it is important to note that a discernible gap in online shopping behavior persists between these educational strata. Moreover, Slovakia's achievement of its convergence goal, aligning with the European Union's admission average, underscores its commitment to growth and development. This accomplishment highlights the nation's progress and reflects the pivotal role of e-commerce in shaping economic trajectories. Novelty - We analyze the trend of online shopping in Slovakia compared to the EU 27 average and top-performing countries, finding that Slovakia exhibits a steeper trend, especially among highly educated individuals. In an era where online interactions and transactions have become integral to daily life, the nexus between educational attainment, online purchasing behavior, and economic advancement demands continued research and analysis. Type of Paper: Empirical JEL Classification: M32, D12, L81 Keywords: E-commerce, Education level, Slovak Republic, Internet purchases, Convergence Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Fedorko, R; Kizák, M; Župina, D. (2024). Analyzing the Relationship between Online Purchasing Behavior and Levels of Educational Attainment in the Slovak Republic, J. Mgt. Mkt. Review, 9(1), 35 – 48. https://doi.org/10.35609/jmmr.2024.9.1(4)

Inequalities in Girls’ High School Sports Participation: How Social Class, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender Route Opportunities to Play and Persist in Athletics

ABSTRACT High school athletics are understudied sites for social and educational stratification. Participation can offer mental and physical health benefits, improved student retention and graduation rates, the encouragement of pro-social behaviors, resume building, and enhanced social statuses. Despite legal prohibitions against race and gender discrimination in schools, opportunities to play and persist in interscholastic athletics may reflect and amplify existing social and educational stratification processes. Using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods research design, this study centers on girls’ high school sports and considers how gender, race/ethnicity, and social class operate at the individual, interactional, cultural, and institutional levels and encourage proclivities, commitments, and support for participation. We combine qualitative (N = 28 women and 47 total college athletes) and quantitative (N = 4,271 high school students) studies to inquire about how, and to what extent, racial/ethnic and social-class dynamics affect girls playing any and specific high school sports and whether they play persistently. Findings suggest that schools co-construct unequal athletic opportunity structures by nurturing and rewarding a cultivated athletic habitus associated with masculinity, whiteness, and affluent dispositions. These processes disguise athletic advantages and successes as well-earned merit and restrict who is most likely to receive the individual and social benefits of high school sports participation.