From “transitions” to “trajectories”: towards a holistic interactionistic analysis of educational inequality in contemporary China

This study uses sequence analysis to examine the educational pathways of individuals born in China between 1976 and 1988, a cohort experiencing significant educational expansion. A typology of educational trajectories is created, and their prevalence is quantified. Decision tree analysis explores the relationship between these pathways and background characteristics. Unlike the "waning coefficients" often found in Mare models, this approach reveals the substantial impact of cumulative advantage and disadvantage, heavily influenced by social background. Rural individuals show a lower likelihood of superior trajectories compared to urban counterparts, while higher parental education consistently enhances children's prospects, regardless of location.

Xiangyang Bi, Xueling Liu