Community College Students in Hong Kong: Class Inequality in Higher Education (Palgrave Studies on Chinese Education in a Global Perspective)

This book presents a comprehensive account of the educational experiences of community college students in Hong Kong. Analyzed through a theoretical lens that intersects sociological theories of inequality, including Bourdieu's concept of cultural capital. the student narratives featured in this book reveal the interweaving personal, academic, and professional considerations and challenges affecting their individual choices in the pursuit of higher education. Chapters also reveal why, despite the relative expansion of educational opportunities, the class gap in higher education persists. Yi-Lee Wong is a professional consultant in the Faculty of Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Acknowledgement Contents Abbreviations List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction Background Four Theoretical Explanations for an Observed Class Gap Literature on Parents’ Capital for Their Children’s Education Capital Cultural Capital and Social Capital My Focus: Their Parents’ Use of Capital for Students’ Educational Pursuits Literature on the Class Nature of Educational Institutions The Setup of Community College My Focus: Students’ Learning Experiences at Community College and Their Academic and Coping Strategies Literature on Parents’ Aspiration for Their Children’s Education and the Children’s Own Educational Aspiration Rational Choice Approach: Risk Aversion in Making an Educational Choice Limitations of Rational Choice Approach My Focus: The Contextual, Processual, and Emotional Aspects of Students’ Choice-Making Literature on Emotions of Parents and Their Children in Relation to the Children’s Education Emotional Capital My Focus: Emotional Capital of Students in Seeking a Second Chance Second Chance and Class Inequality in Education Organisation of This Book References Chapter 2: The Development of Higher Education in Hong Kong: An Overview The Education System in Hong Kong Four Types of Schools and Three Academic Bandings Educational Pathways Two Improvements Significant Changes in the Sector of Higher Education The Launch of the Community College Policy The Creation of New Routes to University Availability of a New, Expensive, Risky, and Second-Rate Second Chance An Expansion of the Sub-degree Sector of Higher Education An Expansion of the Sector of University Education and the Emergence of a New Hierarchy The Implications of the Community College Policy for Class Inequality in Higher Education References Chapter 3: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study of Community-College Students in Hong Kong: Research Design and Process, Methodological Concerns, and Reflections Research Design and Research Process Recruitment and Preliminary Analyses A Continuation, a Follow-Up, and an Extension Interviews Data Management Methodological Issues of This Study Statistical Representativeness Reliability and Validity Recognising the Limitations of This Study Respondents’ Own Perspectives Richness and Thickness Authenticity A Longitudinal Dimension Reflections Becoming Interested in Education and Educational Inequality Doing Interviews Before Reviewing Literature An Insider Perspective My Emotional Struggle Profiles of Respondents References Chapter 4: Class Differentials in Parental Assistance: Deciding to Seek a Second Chance Parental Support at Previous Educational Stages Reaching the Decision on Seeking a Second Chance in a Community College Academic and Career Advice Financial Assistance Emotional Support Another Opportunity Versus the Last Resort References Chapter 5: Class Differentials in Academic and Coping Strategies: Studying at Community College Competition at This Community College Middle-Class Advantages in Course Selection? Middle-Class Advantages in Learning? Middle-Class Advantages in Learning Through Parents’ Understanding? Middle-Class Advantages in Learning Through Schooling? Middle-Class Respondents Outperforming Working-Class Respondents at Community College? Middle-Class Advantages in Groupmates Selection and Peer Assessment? Could Community Colleges be seen as a Middle-Class Institution? The Setup of Community College Against a Neoliberal Context References Chapter 6: Class Differentials in Making Decisions in Seeking a Transfer: Deciding What Programmes to Apply for and What Option to Take as the Final Offer Educational Choices at Two Particular Stages of Seeking a Transfer Deciding What Programmes to Apply For Deciding What Offer to Accept The Most Desirable Offer of a Degree Programme at UGC-Funded University: University as Opposed to Subject The Least Desirable Offer of a Top-Up Degree Programme: Second-Rate Degree as Opposed to No Degree The Contextual, Processual, and Emotional Aspects of Educational Decisions Subsequent Choices at Later Stages What Could be Learnt from This Modified Framework? References Chapter 7: Class Feelings About Rectifying a Critical Educational Failure: The Relevance of Emotional Capital Entitlement and Legitimacy as Classed Emotional Capital Failing HKCEE or HKALE: Violating Middle-Class Entitlement as Opposed to Challenging Working-Class Legitimacy Studying at Community College: Middle-Class Confidence and Working-Class Doubt Getting Transferred: Middle-Class Earned Respect and Working-Class Continuous Doubt An Additional Mechanism of Class Reproduction Through Higher Education The Emotional and Rational Aspects of Educational Experiences References Chapter 8: Conclusions and Suggestions A Summary of Empirical Findings Contribution of This Study Potential Policy Implications Why Not Apply Bourdieu’s Framework for the Whole Book? Possible Directions for Future Research Comments on the Community College Policy References Appendix A: A Letter of Consent Appendix B: Demographic Information on the Respondent Appendix C: Interview Schedule for Community-College Students Appendix D: Successes in Hong Kong: Ranking of Ten Factors Appendix E: Interview Schedule for Graduates Appendix F: Follow-Up Interview Schedule References Index