The Implications of the “Double Reduction” Policy on School Choice in China Based on Capital Theory

Abstract

Framed with Bourdieu’s capital theory, this article examines how different kinds of capital affect school choice after the implementation of the “Double Reduction” policy in China. The considerable disparities in capital causes difference in choice of schools, which is one of the causes of educational inequality. The article tentatively concludes that the “Double Reduction” policy promotes educational equity by restricting the use of capital by the privileged class. However, in the long run, the policy cannot alleviate the educational inequity, because it simplifies the complex struggle and compromise among different types of capital.