Once a Dream of Wielding a Sword and Traveling the World: The Human Capital, Intergenerational Social Class, and Spatial Mobility of Smalltown Youth in China
GUO Wei, YU Yao
School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University
As a significant group bridging the urban-rural gap, the human capital and social class mobility of small-town youth are not only reflections of individual development but also crucial indicators of social equity. Based on the latest CGSS2021 data, this study employs quantitative analysis to discover that from an intergenerational mobility perspective, the human capital of parents among small-town youth contributes to the accumulation of human capital in the next generation. It increases the likelihood of upward mobility and maintaining a stable level of human capital while reducing the probability of downward mobility. The social class of parents among small-town youth has a significantly positive influence on the accumulation of social class in the next generation. However, concerning class mobility, there‘s an apparent “regression” trend, meaning that a higher parental social class reduces the probability of upward social mobility for the next generation. From a spatial mobility perspective, the human capital and social class of parents among small-town youth increase the probability of their movement from small towns to cities in spatial terms. As China transforms from a populous nation to a strong human capital-oriented country, this research provides empirical policy guidance for the government’s efforts in promoting youth development in the context of small towns.
郭未,于瑶. 曾梦想仗剑走天涯:小镇青年人力资本、社会阶层的代际与空间流动[J]. 浙江工商大学学报, 2023, 37(5): 153-165.
GUO Wei, YU Yao. Once a Dream of Wielding a Sword and Traveling the World: The Human Capital, Intergenerational Social Class, and Spatial Mobility of Smalltown Youth in China. Journal of Zhejing Gongshang University, 2023, 37(5): 153-165.
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