How Does Social Capital Influence Academic Job-Seeking Experiences in China? A Comparison Between Domestic and Returning Ph.D.s

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Online and Global Educational Interactions (Table 23)

Abstract

This study investigated how the returning and domestic doctorates utilized social capital to access job opportunities and obtain job positions. Guided by Lin’s (2017) social capital theory, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 domestic students and 13 international returnees, identifying three major findings: 1) Informal channels are more effective than formal channels in Chinese academic job searching process; 2) Chinese academia is centering around advisors-related networks; 3) institutional capital determines the effectiveness of social capital utilization. This study contributed to extending social capital theory by investigating actors’ utilization of social capital across national boundaries. It also constructed a four-quadrant model of key contacts, within which the key contacts’ prestige and tie strength significantly impact obtaining the academic position.

Authors

• Yuejia Wang, University at Buffalo - SUNY

• Xiaoli Jing, Beijing Normal University