In China‘s expanded higher education, middle and upper middle class students continue to outpace those from less privileged backgrounds not only in job access but also occupational attainment. Literature depends mainly on social capital theory, attributing the advantages of middle class students in the graduate labour market to their higher status contacts and vaster social networks. Yet, literature has largely ignored the influence of growing market mechanisms in the graduate labour market, as well as the agency of individual job seekers. Inspired by cultural capital theory, this study is devoted to understanding the cultural processes that underlie individual advancement in a stratified society. Emphasizing the influences of cultural capital in the process and outcome of job searching, this study argues that the advantage of middle class students during job search is determined not only by the higher status contacts embedded in their family social network, but by the tight link between parental involvement, accepted institutional policies and practices, and ideal notions of personhood, i.e., a highly synthesized cultural advancement system. Between January and June, 2012, 60 fourth-year students from two universities in Wuhan were interviewed. Drawing upon these data, it is found that, firstly, the family cultivated certain qualities at the early stage before the student entered higher education. What‘s more, middle class parents always keep their children on the right track of the ‘standard middle class career path‘, and sometimes even act in a more assertive role to ‗correct‘ students‘ derailed inclinations. However, the parents of underprivileged students know little about campus life and the job searching experiences of their children. Secondly, the ―excellence‖ emphasized in school discourse aligns with middle class values. Middle class students are very familiar with the cultural codes and manners required to obtain this ―excellence.‖ Additionally, the evaluation criteria and award mechanisms prevailing on campus also favor the performance of middle class students. Their awards, usually in the form of certificates, prizes or titles, are directly interpreted into higher employability during their job search, contributing to greater opportunities of the middle class during their job search. And thirdly, shaped by their socialization both at home and school, middle class students manage to accumulate a whole set of class-based dispositions towards control and success while underprivileged students fail to do so. Guided by these dispositions, middle class students employ purposeful strategies and demeanours on campus in order to cater to the labour market‘s requirements. The findings suggest that social reproduction during job search is due to the mixed functioning of the cultural advancement system, taking into consideration the negotiation and interaction between the contextual features, i.e., the gradually implemented market mechanism, inadequate legal enforcement, and guanxi as a cultural psychology. This study suggests that the cultural advancement system could be extended through more scholarly thesis to explain how the middle class continue to pull ahead of lower classes, thus perpetuating class inequality in transitional China. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

by Tam Kam-biu. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1973. / Includes bibliographical references.

So Kwan Kow. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1979. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [83-84]). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Chapter Chapter I --- Introduction / Chapter ( A ) --- Early turnover --- p.1 / Chapter ( B ) --- Why people drop-out: Job dissatisfaction and poor job person fit --- p.3 / Chapter ( C ) --- Work values and work Preferences --- p.5 / Chapter Chapter II --- Research Problem and Objectives --- p.12 / Chapter Chapter III --- Research Methodology / Chapter ( A ) --- Samples and Research sites --- p.18 / Chapter ( B ) --- Data Collection --- p.20 / Chapter ( C ) --- Measures --- p.21 / Chapter ( D ) --- Index Constrnction --- p.22 / Chapter ( E ) --- Statistial procedures --- p.27 / Chapter Chapter IV --- Results / Chapter ( A ) --- Work values of grad ating students of Baptist College and C.U.H.K. --- p.28 / Chapter ( B ) --- Work Preferences of graduating students of C.U.H.K. and Baptist College --- p.34 / Chapter ( C ) --- Correlates of work Values and work Preferences --- p.39 / Chapter Chapter V --- Discussion / Chapter ( A ) --- Work Values of graduating students of C.U.H.K. and Baptist College --- p.62 / Chapter ( B ) --- Work Preferences of graduating student of Baptist College and C.U.H.K. --- p.67 / Chapter ( C ) --- Correlates of work values and work preferences --- p.70 / Chapter Chapter VI --- Conclusion / Chapter ( A ) --- Summary --- p.73 / Chapter ( B ) --- Programs suggested to reduce early turnover --- p.74 / Chapter ( C ) --- Suggestion for future research --- p.76 / Appendix / Bibliograpy

published_or_final_version / Sociology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

by Leung Kin Hee. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1973. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 101). / Summary in Chinese.

by Fung Yee-ching. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1979. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-70). / Abstract also in Chinese.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

by S.M. Chung. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1987. / Bibliography: leaf 34.

by Kenneth, Kai-cheong, Luk. / Quenstionnaire in Chinese. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-84). / ABSTRACT --- p.i / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.v / ACKNOWLEDGMENT --- p.vii / Chapter / Chapter I. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Background of the Study --- p.1 / Theoretical Framework --- p.2 / Research Questions and its Significant --- p.5 / Chapter II. --- Literature Review --- p.9 / Pay Level and Gender --- p.10 / Pay Level and Academic Achievement --- p.13 / Pay focus and Achievement Motivation --- p.14 / Pay Base and Locus of Control --- p.18 / Pay Structure and Machiavellianism --- p.20 / Chapter III --- Hypotheses of the Study --- p.22 / Chapter IV --- Methodology --- p.25 / Sample --- p.25 / Measurement --- p.25 / Independent Variables --- p.25 / Dependent Variables --- p.28 / Controlling Variables --- p.29 / Dummy Variables --- p.31 / Questionnaire Design --- p.31 / Pilot Testing --- p.32 / Statistical Power --- p.33 / Statistical Analysis --- p.34 / Chapter V --- Result of the Study --- p.38 / Hypotheses Testing --- p.55 / Chapter VI --- Discussion and Conclusion --- p.58 / Limitation --- p.65 / Implication --- p.67 / Further Research Suggestion --- p.69 / Conclusion --- p.71 / Chapter Appendix 1 --- The Questionnaire --- p.73 / Bibliography --- p.78