Marketization of Education and School Choice in Kunming: Parental Usage of Bourdieu’s Three Forms of Capital Under Scrutiny

Abstract: Education is a significant topic in China. The practice of what is known as “school choice” at compulsory education level (xiaoshengchu) has attracted attention from all government, media, and academic circle. The purpose of this thesis is to explore practices and perceptions of urban middle-class parents with children who have experienced the academic transition from primary to middle school.The ideology of marketization and Bourdieu’s three forms of capital has been applied in this thesis. By using in-depth interviews and participant observation, this study found that both students and parents are facing tremendous pressure to gain advantages in school-choice competition. To realize this, they have to deal with cultural, social and economic capital to varying degrees.