Education Stratification and Anti-School Subcultures Among Juvenile Delinquents Affected by China’s Rural-to-Urban Migration

• In Event: Understanding Larger Systems While Theorizing School Violence

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between China’s stratified education system and the development of anti-school subcultures among juvenile delinquents affected by rural-to-urban migration. Applying the differentiation-polarization theory, the study explores how the hierarchical structure of the education system—shaped by interschool and intraschool stratification—affects delinquents’ school experiences and contributes to the formation of anti-school subcultures. Using a qualitative research approach, the study both interviewed juvenile offenders and conducted fieldwork in the Chinese education system. Findings indicate that the delinquents affected by rural-to-urban migration, disproportionately placed in lower-tier schools and low-performing classes, face systemic discrimination by teachers, which fosters their alienation from the mainstream education system. As a result, two distinct anti-school subcultures emerge: a non-violent, passive disengagement subculture and an aggressive, confrontational delinquent subculture. The findings highlight the critical role of educational stratification in reinforcing social exclusion and anti-school subcultures, offering insights for policy interventions aimed at reducing educational inequality and preventing juvenile delinquency.

Author

• Yunjiao Gao, Wuhan University of Technology