SOSC 103D Social Inequality in HK

1. SOSC 103DSocial Inequality in HK Lecture 25: Family and Education

2. Social Origin Social Destination Education Education and Social Inequality L25: 09.05.07

3. Unequal access to education in HK Composition of University Students in 1981 and 2001 (David Post, 2003 p.558) L25: 09.05.07

4. Family Effects The role of family background in affecting children’s educational outcome – through various mechanisms • How do parents transmit their advantage or disadvantage to their children? • How do the family and parents make the difference? • What is happening inside the family?! L25: 09.05.07

5. Primary Effects • Class differences in educational grades • Genetic effects • Lack of endowment for educational success • Research on IQ • Parental investment • Material resources spend on children • Time spend with children L25: 09.05.07

6. Different types of families and their relations on parental investment and involvement • Family income • Parents’ educational level • Parents’ occupational status • Type of occupations • Number of parents are employed • Family structure • Single-parent families • Step families • Size and composition of siblings • Races and ethnicity L25: 09.05.07

7. Secondary Effects There are class differences in educational attainment even when students’ academic achievements are controlled!!! • Class differences in educational choice (i.e. stay or leave school) • Decision on the years of schooling • Decision on the level of schooling L25: 09.05.07

8. Secondary effect concern about the decision made in each school transition. • Decision on whether to continue education or not • Decision on the type of schooling • Decision on the subject that we’re going to take in the school • Hong Kong’s Case: • Vocational training or academic-track after open exam? • Faculties we choose in University L25: 09.05.07

9. Secondary Effects (cont’) • Resources effect • The real cost of further education – income foregone • Aspiration effect • The goal is set according to social origin • The tendency of risk-aversion • Cultural/ value effect • Cultural deprivation L25: 09.05.07

10. Example 1: A Band 3 Secondary School in Kwun Tong • Students’ Family Profiles: • Working classes family • 50% are CSSA recipients • Large amount of single-parent families • Every week, about 2 to 3 new immigrants will knock the school door for school seats (Required by EMB) • Parents with long working hours L25: 09.05.07

11. Example 1: A Band 3 Secondary School in Kwun Tong (Con’t) • Students’ education performance and attainment: • Each year, only 2 to 3 students enter local universities • Major reason for failing to enter university: Students’ poor English language ability (Most F.1 students’ language ability: P.4 Level) • Most F. 5 school leavers study Foundation diploma IVE • Most F. 7 school leavers study High diploma in IVE L25: 09.05.07

12. Example 1: A Band 3 Secondary School in Kwun Tong (Con’t) • Learning Environment • CMI, Gangsters, members of triad society, drug abuser • Students’ Aspiration • ¼ of F.3 students have no aspiration to continue their studies • ½ of F.6 students have no aspiration to enter universities L25: 09.05.07

13. Example 1: A Band 3 Secondary School in Kwun Tong (Con’t) • School’s Strategy • Focus on marketing and image polishing for prospective students, not on current students • Objective: attract students outside Kwun Tong to apply the school so as to recruit better quality of newly-admitted F.1 students • “We don’t expect we can have graduates who are prominent figures in the society; we only want our students not to commit crimes” L25: 09.05.07

14. Example 1: A Band 3 Secondary School in Kwun Tong (Con’t) • Some Analyses: • Effect of District based Allocation System (分區派位) --> clustering of working class students • Lack of Aspiration of further study: • Peer effect • Parents’ encouragement to work (become breadwinner to support family) • Lacking of Social Capital L25: 09.05.07