The Neo-conservative Habitus and the Higher Education Choices
Yi Huang （ The School of English Education, The Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China ）
Abstract
Illuminated by Bourdieu’s writing on neoliberalism as a new type of conservative ideology, this paper explains how neoliberal domination in contemporary China’s society is often realised through reviving the older conservative forces, such as groupthinking, gender stereotypes, pedagogic and familial authoritarianism. The paper illustrates this social phenomenon with the higher education choice-making of seven Chinese students. The findings are represented in three themes: the groupthought higher education choice; the familial authoritarian higher education choice; and the gendered higher education choice. In conclusion, the paper proposes that contemporary China’s society is in neo-conservative construction and a neo-conservative habitus functions as a new mechanism that neoliberalism dominates Chinese people.
Keywords
neoliberalism, groupthinking, gender stereotypes, higher education choice, pedagogic and familial authoritarianism, a neo-conservative habitusFull Text
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[32] Reay, D. ‘Always knowing’ and ‘never being sure’: Familial and institutional habituses and higher education choice. Journal of Education Policy, 1998;13(4), 519-529.
[33] Reed-Danahay, D. Locating Bourdieu. Bloomington, India: Indiana University Press;2005.
[34] Roberts, D., & Allen, A. Young applicants perceptions of higher education. Leeds, UK: Heist; 1997.
[35] Rosen, S.The victory of materialism: Aspirations to join China’s urban moneyed classes and the commercialization of education. The China Journal, 2004;51(Jan), 27-51.
[36] Roska, J., & Robinson, J. K. From in loco parentis to consumer choice: Patterns and consequences of the changing relationship between students and institutions. In J. E. Côté, & A. Furlong (Eds.), Routledge handbook of the sociology of higher education (pp. 106-115). Oxon; New York: Routledge; 2016.
[37] Scott, I. First-year experience as terrain of failure or platform for development? critical choices for higher education. Unpublished manuscript; 2009.
[38]Secker, J., Wimbush, E., Watson, J., & Milburn, K. Qualitative methods in health promotion research: Some criteria for quality. Health Education Journal, 1995;54(1), 74- 87.
[39] Sheng, X. Higher education choice in China: Social stratification, gender and educational inequality. Oxon; New York: Routledge; 2014.
[40] Sheng, X. Gender and habitus: Parental involvement in students’ subject choices in China. Journal of Gender Studies, 2015;24(2), 227-238.
[41]Smyth, E., & Banks, J. ‘There was never really any question of anything else’: Young people’s agency, institutional habitus and the transition to higher education. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 2012; 33(2), 263-281.
[42] Snyder, T. D., & Dillow, S. A. Digest of education statistics, 2011. NCES 2012-001. Washington, DC: National Centre for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education; 2012.
[43] Stake, J. E., & Nickens, S. D. Adolescent girls’ and boys’ science peer relationships and perceptions of the possible self as scientist. Sex Roles, 2005;52(1-2), 1-11.
[44] Wu, B., & Morgan, J. Chinese higher education reform and social justice. Oxon; New York: Routledge; 2016.
[45] Wu, F. How neoliberal is China’s reform? the origins of change during transition. Eurasian Geography and Economics, 2010;51(5), 619-631.
[46] Xu, P. Analysis of gender differences of students’ subject choices (in Chinese). Journal of Changchun University of Technology (Higher Education Study Edition), 2007;(1), 17-19.
[2]Barrett, T. Storying Bourdieu: Fragments towards a Bourdieusian approach to “Life histories”. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2015;14(5), 1-10.
[3] Biglan, A. Relationships between subject matter characteristics and the structure and output of university departments. Journal of Applied Psychology, 1973;57(3), 204.
[4] Bourdieu, P. Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul;1984.
[5] Bourdieu, P. The essence of neoliberalism (J. Shapiro Trans.). Le Monde Diplomatique. Retrieved from http://mondediplo.com/1998/12/08Bourdieu.
[6] Bourdieu, P. The contradictions of inheritance. In P. Bourdieu, A. Accardo, G. Balazs, S. Beaud, F. Bonvin, E. Bourdieu, P. Bourgois, S. Broccolichi, P. Champagne, R. Christin, J.- P. Faguer, S. Garcia, R. Lenoir, F. Oeuvrard, M. Pialoux, L. Pinto, D. Podalydes, A. Sayad, C. Soulie Loic & J. D. Wacquant (Eds.), Weight of the world: Social suffering in contemporary society. (P. P. Ferguson, S. Emanuel, J. Johnson, & S. T. Waryn, Trans.). (pp. 507-513). Cambridge: Polity Press; 1999.
[7] Bourdieu, P. A life lost. In P. Bourdieu, A. Accardo, G. Balazs, S. Beaud, F. Bonvin, E. Bourdieu, P. Bourgois, S. Broccolichi, P. Champagne, R. Christin, J.- P. Faguer, S. Garcia, R. Lenoir, F. Oeuvrard, M. Pialoux, L. Pinto, D. Podalydes, A. Sayad, C. Soulie Loic & J. D. Wacquant (Eds.), Weight of the world: Social suffering in contemporary society (P. P. Ferguson, S. Emanuel, J. Johnson, & S. T. Waryn, Trans.). (pp. 381-391). Cambridge: Polity Press; 1999.
[8] Bourdieu, P., & Accardo, A. Weight of the world: Social suffering in contemporary society (P. P. Ferguson, S. Emanuel, J. Johnson, & S. T. Waryn, Trans.). Cambridge: Polity Press;1999.
[9] Bourdieu, P., & Passeron, J. C. Reproduction in education, society, and culture (R. Nice Trans.). London, UK; California, USA; New Delhi, India: Sage. (Original work published in 1970); 1990.
[10] Bourdieu, P. Pascalian meditations (R. Nice Trans.). Cambridge, UK: Polity Press (Original work published in 1997); 2000.
[11] Bourdieu, P., & Turner, C. The social structures of the economy. Cambridge, U.K.; Malden, MA: Polity;2005.
[12] Brooks, R. Young people's higher education choices: The role of family and friends. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 2003; 24(3), 283-297.
[13] David, M. E., Ball, S. J., Davies, J., & Reay, D. Gender issues in parental involvement in student choices of higher education. Gender and Education, 2003; 15(1), 21-36.
[14] Doogan, K. New capitalism?: The transformation of work. Cambridge, U.K.; Malden, Mass.: Polity; 2009.
[15] Dryler, H. Parental role models, gender and educational choice. British Journal of Sociology, 1998; 49(3), 375-398.
[16] Edgerton, J. D., Roberts, L. W. & Peters, T. Disparities in academic achievement: Assessing the role of habitus and practice. Social Indicators Research, 2013; 114(2), 303-322.
[17] Ferreira, M. Gender issues related to graduate student attrition in two science departments. International Journal of Science Education, 2003; 25(8), 969-989.
[18] Francis, B. The gendered subject: Students’ subject preferences and discussions of gender and subject ability. Oxford Review of Education, 2000; 26(1), 35-48.
[19] Guo, C., Tsang, M. C., & Ding, X. Gender disparities in science and engineering in Chinese universities. Economics of Education Review, 2010; 29(2), 225-235.
[20] Harvey, D. A brief history of neoliberalism. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press; 2005.
[21] Ho, D. Y. Filial piety, authoritarian moralism, and cognitive conservatism in Chinese societies. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 1994; 120(3), 349-365.
[22] Ho, Y., & Lee, L. Authoritarianism and attitude towards filial piety in Chinese teachers. The Journal of Social Psychology, 1974; 92(2), 305-306.
[23] Hutchings, M., & Archer, L. ‘Higher than Einstein’: Constructions of going to university among working-class non-participants. Research Papers in Education, 2001; 16(1), 69-91.
[24] Huntington, S. P. Conservatism as an ideology. American Political Science Review, 1957; 51(2), 454-473.
[25] Law, W. The role of the state in higher education reform: Mainland China and Taiwan. Comparative Education Review, 1995; 39(3), 322-355.
[26] Liu, D., & Hong, Y. The career prospects of university graduates from urban families. In B. Wu, & J. Morgan (Eds.), Chinese higher education reform and social justice (pp. 66-79). Oxon; New York: Routledge; 2016.
[27] McDonough, P. M., & Miller, C. E. The forces of persistent inequality: Minority statues in higher education. In J. E. Côté, & A. Furlong (Eds.), Routledge handbook of the sociology of higher education (pp. 153-164). Oxon; New York: Routledge; 2016.
[28] Mok, K. H. Globalization and educational restructuring: University merging and changing governance in China. Higher Education, 2005; 50(1), 57-88.
[29] Obermeit, K. Students’ choice of universities in Germany: Structure, factors and information sources used. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 2012; 22(2), 206-230.
[30] O’Hara, K. Conservatism. London: Reaktion Books; 2011.
[31] Pugsley, L. Throwing your brains at it: Higher education, markets and choice. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 1998; 8(1), 71-92.
[32] Reay, D. ‘Always knowing’ and ‘never being sure’: Familial and institutional habituses and higher education choice. Journal of Education Policy, 1998;13(4), 519-529.
[33] Reed-Danahay, D. Locating Bourdieu. Bloomington, India: Indiana University Press;2005.
[34] Roberts, D., & Allen, A. Young applicants perceptions of higher education. Leeds, UK: Heist; 1997.
[35] Rosen, S.The victory of materialism: Aspirations to join China’s urban moneyed classes and the commercialization of education. The China Journal, 2004;51(Jan), 27-51.
[36] Roska, J., & Robinson, J. K. From in loco parentis to consumer choice: Patterns and consequences of the changing relationship between students and institutions. In J. E. Côté, & A. Furlong (Eds.), Routledge handbook of the sociology of higher education (pp. 106-115). Oxon; New York: Routledge; 2016.
[37] Scott, I. First-year experience as terrain of failure or platform for development? critical choices for higher education. Unpublished manuscript; 2009.
[38]Secker, J., Wimbush, E., Watson, J., & Milburn, K. Qualitative methods in health promotion research: Some criteria for quality. Health Education Journal, 1995;54(1), 74- 87.
[39] Sheng, X. Higher education choice in China: Social stratification, gender and educational inequality. Oxon; New York: Routledge; 2014.
[40] Sheng, X. Gender and habitus: Parental involvement in students’ subject choices in China. Journal of Gender Studies, 2015;24(2), 227-238.
[41]Smyth, E., & Banks, J. ‘There was never really any question of anything else’: Young people’s agency, institutional habitus and the transition to higher education. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 2012; 33(2), 263-281.
[42] Snyder, T. D., & Dillow, S. A. Digest of education statistics, 2011. NCES 2012-001. Washington, DC: National Centre for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education; 2012.
[43] Stake, J. E., & Nickens, S. D. Adolescent girls’ and boys’ science peer relationships and perceptions of the possible self as scientist. Sex Roles, 2005;52(1-2), 1-11.
[44] Wu, B., & Morgan, J. Chinese higher education reform and social justice. Oxon; New York: Routledge; 2016.
[45] Wu, F. How neoliberal is China’s reform? the origins of change during transition. Eurasian Geography and Economics, 2010;51(5), 619-631.
[46] Xu, P. Analysis of gender differences of students’ subject choices (in Chinese). Journal of Changchun University of Technology (Higher Education Study Edition), 2007;(1), 17-19.
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Publishing time:2026-07-09
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