Left-behind Children in Rural China: School Experiences of Boys and Girls in Jiangxi Province

Abstract

Research findings show that the migration of rural parents brings negative impacts on left-behind children in many aspects, especially in their school experiences. However, less research is conducted to examine how gender may impact left-behind children’s school experiences. From a social constructivist perspective, gender identity is constructed through a series of shared understanding and practices and it is in a state of reconstruction. Compared with men, women’s disadvantaged position in China can be demonstrated in term of cultural, economic and political aspects. This study attempts to explore school experiences of left-behind children from a gender perspective.

Qualitative research is adopted as this study focuses on the perspectives of left-behind children and how they perceive their school experiences. Semi-structured interview is selected to collect qualitative data. Eighteen left-behind children, nine boys and nine girls, are chosen to participate in this research as comparative dimension of this study is based on gender.

School experiences are analyzed through four aspects in this study – study environment, learning process, social interaction and aspirations. Research findings show that gendered thinking and patterns still persist among left-behind children, but the reassessment of girls’ value has brought certain changes in school experiences of left-behind girls.