Examining changing rural family educational attitudes and children’s attainment

• In Event: Moving ahead, staying behind: Post-2015 educational challenges in China

Abstract

China has recently undergone rapid economic and social development bringing about more egalitarian gender attitudes. Recent research has shown that traditional gender attitudes in China may be weakening. This paper focuses on examining the gender gap in education in rural Northwest China across time. Examining parental gender attitudes and behaviors over time offers insight into not only the direction of changing gender attitudes, but also the impact of holding traditional or progressive gender attitudes. Drawing on development and feminist theories, we explore the relationship of parental gender attitudes and behaviors and children’s attainment. Our study is based in rural Gansu province, an ideal location, as traditional attitudes are believed to be strong in rural areas. Using the Gansu Survey of Children and Families (GSCF), a longitudinal survey of parents, teachers, children, principals, and village heads, we will compare parental perceptions of girls and boys in 2000 and 2004 regarding parental perceptions of the abilities and roles of girls and boys, parental concern for old-age support, parental perceptions of labor market outcomes for girls’ and boys’ education. We then connect these perceptions to parental behaviors such as investments in children and children’s subsequent attainment. This study offers a unique look at gender attitudes over time to better understand changing parental gender attitudes and behaviors, but also links these to children’s subsequent schooling.

Author

• Yuping Zhang, Lehigh University