Decoding the Behavioral Imaginary: Voluntarily Submission to Symbolic Violence of Chinese Postgraduate Entrance Examination (PEE)
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| Title: | Decoding the Behavioral Imaginary: Voluntarily Submission to Symbolic Violence of Chinese Postgraduate Entrance Examination (PEE) |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Yibin Wang, Yan Shi, Xinrui Wang, Jing Wang |
| Source: | British Journal of Sociology of Education. 2026 47(1):139-157. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 19 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, College Entrance Examinations, Graduate Students, Competition, Student Behavior, Student Attitudes, Student Educational Objectives, Test Preparation, Student Motivation, Student Participation |
| Geographic Terms: | China |
| DOI: | 10.1080/01425692.2025.2584179 |
| ISSN: | 0142-5692 1465-3346 |
| Abstract: | In China, the Postgraduate Entrance Examination (PEE) presents a paradox: students devise elaborate preparation strategies and persist in intensely competitive study, despite recognising that these very behaviours are collectively inefficient. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Charles Taylor and Pierre Bourdieu, this study reveals that students' behavioural imaginaries in the PEE function as an interpretive bridge that transforms symbolic violence into voluntarily submission. We used digital ethnography on Chinese online platform. We interviewed 18 candidates (aged 22-26). They showed paradoxical engagement with this detrimental form of competition. Analysis reveals three behavioural imaginaries: strategic rationalization, competitive internalization, and technical legitimation. Contrary to views attributing competition to irrational decision or individual anxiety, our findings highlight sophisticated meaning-making processes that reconcile structural constraints with personal agency. This analysis contributes to understanding how educational systems foster voluntary participation beyond mere compliance, offering insights into the cognitive dimensions of educational competition across diverse contexts. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1500737 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | In China, the Postgraduate Entrance Examination (PEE) presents a paradox: students devise elaborate preparation strategies and persist in intensely competitive study, despite recognising that these very behaviours are collectively inefficient. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Charles Taylor and Pierre Bourdieu, this study reveals that students' behavioural imaginaries in the PEE function as an interpretive bridge that transforms symbolic violence into voluntarily submission. We used digital ethnography on Chinese online platform. We interviewed 18 candidates (aged 22-26). They showed paradoxical engagement with this detrimental form of competition. Analysis reveals three behavioural imaginaries: strategic rationalization, competitive internalization, and technical legitimation. Contrary to views attributing competition to irrational decision or individual anxiety, our findings highlight sophisticated meaning-making processes that reconcile structural constraints with personal agency. This analysis contributes to understanding how educational systems foster voluntary participation beyond mere compliance, offering insights into the cognitive dimensions of educational competition across diverse contexts. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0142-5692 1465-3346 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/01425692.2025.2584179 |
