Re-examining cultural reproduction theory: cultural capital and adolescent academic achievement in China

作者：Xie, Yongxiang; He, Jun^*

来源：Asia Pacific Education Review, 2023.

DOI：10.1007/s12564-022-09820-2

• Cultural reproduction theory
• Embodied cultural capital
• Objectified cultural capital
• Academic achievement

Scholars extensively tested cultural reproduction theory on the basis of different data and measurements in the western context. However, research on the relationship among embodied cultural capital, objectified cultural capital, and adolescent academic achievement and the underlying mechanisms in the Chinese education system is limited. To address this concern, we used the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) for 2013-2014 for analysis of the association and mechanisms. The findings suggested that despite the applicability of the signaling and skill mechanisms of embodied cultural capital in China, it remained negatively associated with academic achievement due to the Chinese examination-oriented education system. In contrast, objectified cultural capital was positively correlated with academic achievement. The signaling and skill mechanisms mediated the association between objectified cultural capital and academic achievement. Therefore, considering the education system when examining cultural reproduction theory is crucial.

• 单位
  复旦大学