Becoming "Unexpected Elites": A Qualitative Study on Academic Identity Formation in a Non-Elite Chinese University
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Challenging institutional determinism in stratified higher education systems, this qualitative study draws on Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of field, capital, and habitus, complemented by Anthony Giddens' structuration theory, to examine how master's students at a non-elite Chinese university construct an elite academic identity despite structural constraints. Through semi-structured focus group interviews with 10 high-achieving elite master's students at an engineering university in western China, this study investigates how they negotiate academic success within a marginal institutional context, focusing on: 1) their construction of academic identity amid institutional marginality, 2) emotional drivers and pressures underlying elite identification, and 3) the emergence of a collective sense of belonging. The findings reveal that "unexpected success" often arises from low external expectations tied to non-elite educational backgrounds, with participants’ achievements catalyzing doctoral aspirations, directed toward Double First-Class universities. While participants demonstrated pride and agency through these accomplishments, their quest for elite recognition simultaneously reinforces structural inequalities within China's stratified academic system. The study argues that cultural capital can be strategically generated and validated beyond elite institutions, illuminating the dynamic interplay between structure and agency. As a result, the findings highlight the need for non-elite universities to challenge internalized narratives of mediocrity and to legitimate peripheral excellence as a meaningful form of academic achievement.
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