The Role of Patriotism in China’s Education System: The Production and Transformation of “Red Capital” from a Bourdieusian Perspective
Abstract
Bourdieu’s capital theory argued that education inequality is primarily reproduced through three core forms of capital: economic, cultural, and social. However, Bourdieu did not preclude the existence of other capitals that may operate distinctly in particular fields. China’s education system emphasize political ideology through both formal and hidden curriculum. , Centered on patriotism and communist ideology, this process creates “red capital”. Using a mixed methodology, this study investigated: (1) the validity of red capital as an independent capital form, (2) its role in the reproduction of social hierarchies and education inequality, and (3) the way of acquisition and institutional manifestation.
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