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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
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  Data: 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
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  Data: 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.
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