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Social Capital and Cross-Ethnic Friendships Among Min Kao Min, Min Kao Han, and Han Students at Minzu University of China: a Qualitative Study

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Social Capital and Cross-Ethnic Friendships Among Min Kao Min, Min Kao Han, and Han Students at Minzu University of China: a Qualitative Study SOCIAL CAPITAL AND CROSS-ETHNIC FRIENDSHIPS AMONG MIN KAO MIN, MIN KAO HAN, AND HAN STUDENTS AT MINZU UNIVERSITY OF CHINA: A QUALITATIVE STUDY ________________________________________________________________________ A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board ________________________________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY ________________________________________________________________________ By Xiaoyang Sun Filing May 2018 Thesis Approvals: Professor Kimberly Goyette, Dissertation Chair, Sociology Professor Lu Zhang, Sociology Professor Shanyang Zhao, Sociology Professor Sydney D. White, Religion and Asian Studies I ABSTRACT This study examines ethnic minority students at Minzu University of China (Minzu) and the ways in which students form social capital and cross-ethnic friendships as strategies to support their academic and career pursuits. Minzu University of China (in Beijing) is selected as the site for the study because it is the leading minority university in China and its mission is to promote educational attainment and social integration among the nation’s ethnic minority population. The study calls on sociological work on social capital and schooling as well as work on cross-racial and cross-ethnic friendship formation to guide the theoretical and conceptual analysis. Three groups of students based on ethnic background and primary language spoken form the basis for the interview sample: 1) Han students whose primary language is Chinese Mandarin; 2) Min Kao Han students who are ethnic minorities fluent in Chinese Mandarin and who took the college entrance exam (the Gaokao) in Mandarin; and 3) Min Kao Min students representing ethnic minority students who took the college entrance exam in their native language and who may have limited Mandarin ability. The following research questions served to guide the study: 1) What differences exist among Han, Min Kao Han, and Min Kao Min college students in terms of the observable characteristics of their social connections and relations? 2) How do students form social relationships and connections and to what extent are there observable differences when comparing the three groups of students? 3) How do the students form cross-ethnic friendships and relations and to what extent are there observable differences across the three groups of students? 4) How does guanxi influence the formation of social relationships and connections among the three groups of students? Methodologically II speaking, the study borrows from the qualitative tradition and emphasizes the kind of perspective taking critical to understanding the collegiate experiences of ethnic minorities. Field work was conducted during the spring semester 2017 over a five-month period and involved semi-structured interviews with 42 students (14 from each ethnic grouping and equal numbers of males and females), informal interviews, participant observation (mainly in the form of shadowing) and document analysis. Key research findings point to the fact that Min Kao Min students tend to lack confidence about their pre-college education and their Gaokao performance. The vast majority of students appreciated the cultural and ethnic diversity at Minzu University, although some reported shortcomings with the educational environment in terms of the academic quality and the campus infrastructure. Two major forms of social relations constituted students’ social capital formation—peer to peer connections and faculty/staff connections. Extracurricular activities and social media/online platforms provided important spaces for students to build social capital and cross-ethnic friendships. Guanxi, as a unique form of social capital in the Chinese cultural context, emerged as an important aspect of the collegiate experience and the formation of social connections. In terms of cross-ethnic friendship formation, Min Kao Min students tended to have the most homophilous friendship circles, whereas Min Kao Han students were more likely to have the most heterophilous friendships with Han students falling in the middle. The fact that Min Kao Min students are least likely to form cross-ethnic friendships was seen as an important factor in potentially limiting their social capital formation. III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I want to convey a special thank you to my Dissertation Chair, Professor Kimberly Goyette—she was always very supporting of my ideas and work throughout my doctoral career at Temple University and I will forever be indebted to her. Second, I also want to convey my appreciation for the ways in which Professors Lu Zhang and Shanyang Zhao supported me throughout my doctoral program, including their mentoring and the way they made me feel at “home” at Temple, especially during the more challenging times. Also, I send a heart-felt thank you to Professor Sydney White for agreeing to serve as the outside committee member and for her feedback in making the dissertation that much better. Special thanks to my husband for his support and always being there throughout this long process. Lastly, I am deeply grateful to my family and friends in China. Even though thousand miles apart, I still feel your love and support. IV LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1 Min Kao Min (MKM) Student Participants…………………………………...65 Table 3.2 Min Kao Han (MKH) Student Participants…………………………………...66 Table 3.3 Han Student Participants………………………………………………………67 Table 6.1 Min Kao Min Students’ Friendship Circles (Among 5 Best Campus Friends)…………………………………………………………………………………162 Table 6.2 Min Kao Han Students’ Friendship Circles (Among 5 Best Campus Friends)…………………………………………………………………………………163 Table 6.3 Han Students’ Friendship Circles (Among 5 Best Campus Friends)………..164 V LIST OF FIGURES Figure 6.1 Homophilous-Heterophilous Continuum………………………………...…161 VI LIST OF CHARTS SOCIAL CAPITAL SUMMARY CHART…………………………….………............234 VII TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………………iv LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………...v LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………………vi LIST OF CHARTS………………………………………………………………………vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………….….......1 Context for the Study………………………………………………………….......4 The Proposed Study………………………………………………………….........6 What Follows...……………………………………………………………………8 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW….……………………………………………..10 Ethnic and Linguistic Diversity in China………………………………………...10 Education and Ethnic Diversity in China ……………….……………………….18 Theories and Research on Social Capital and Cross-Ethnic Friendships.………………………………………………………………..…......24 Social Capital and the Role of Education……………………….……….25 Contributions of Bourdieu and Coleman………………………...27 More Recent Social Capital Research……………………………30 Carter’s Contribution…………………………………………….35 Guanxi and Social Capital……………………………………….38 VIII Cross-Ethnic and Cross-Racial Friendships in College………………….42 Theoretical Contribution of the Study………………………………………...…46 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH DESIGN………………………..49 Qualitative Methods…..……………………………………………………….....49 Research Design……………………………………………………………….…52 Basic Focus and Research Questions……………………………….…....52 Site Selection and Gaining Access……………………………………....53 Data Collection Strategies……………………………………………….57 Semi-Structured Interviews……………………………………...57 Informal Interviews…………………………………………........59 Participant Observation/Shadowing……………………………...59 Document Analysis……………………………………………....60 Sampling Procedures and Sample………………….………………………….....61 Data Management and Analysis………………………………………………....68 Issues of Authenticity…………………………………………………………....69 Research Ethics…….…………………………………………………………….70 Conclusion.……………………………………………………………………....71 CHAPTER 4: STUDENTS’ PRE-COLLEGE BACKGROUND AND VIEWS OF MINZU UNIVERSITY…….…………………………………………………………....73 Students’ Pre-College Educational Background…………...….………………....73 Educational Preparation for College….……………………………….....74 IX The Gaokao….…………………………………………………………...77 Students’ Views of Minzu Campus Life…...….………………………………....80 Views of Academics….……………………………………………….....81 Views of Cultural Diversity………….………………………………..…84 Examples of Cultural Diversity through Shadowing………….....88 Views of Campus Infrastructure……………...……………….………....92 Summary………………………...……………………………………………….95 CHAPTER 5: SOCIAL CAPITAL AND GUANXI AMONG MKM, MKH, AND HAN STUDENTS………………………………………………………………..…………….99 Contextualizing Social Capital……….………..………………………………...99 Types of Campus-Based Social Connections Contributing to Social Capital……...…………………………………………….……………..102 Peer-to-Peer Connections……………………………………….102 Faculty and Staff Connections………………………………….109 Social Media and Online Connections…………………….……………113 Off-Campus Sources of Social Capital……….………………………...117 Beijing Ethnic Ties…………………………………………......115 Hometown Connections in Beijing……………………………..118 Family Connections…………………………………………….120 Guanxi as a Form of Social Capital ……………………………………………122 Conceptualizing and Forming Guanxi…….……………………………123 The Significance of Guanxi in the Lives of Minzu Students…………...125 X Summary…………………...…………………………………………………...128 CHAPTER 6: ETHNICITY AND CROSS-ETHNIC FRIENDSHIPS……….………..132 Ethnicity and Minzu University……...………………………………………....134 Identification with One’s Ethnicity……………………………….…….135 Interpreting A Student’s Ethnic Identity……….……………………….140 Ethnic-Related Advantages and Disadvantages……….………………..142 Advantages Related to Ethnic Status…………………………...143 Disadvantages Related to
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