Changes in Urban-Rural Social Structure and Distribution of High School Educational Opportunities—An Analysis Based on Middle School Graduation Education Tracking in Q County, Gansu

AbstractTo a certain extent, the distribution of high school education opportunities among the population determines the stratification of high school education opportunities. The researchers examined the distribution of high school education opportunities within the county region based on survey data on middle school graduation education tracking in Q County, Gansu Province. The research results showed there is a phenomenon of sex and strata structure reproduction in the process of middle school graduation educational tracking. This verifies and supports the MMI hypothesis and EMI hypothesis in the secondary education segment, and the EMI hypothesis can explain the situation in China. The mobility of nonagriculturalized and nonagricultural occupations did not increase high school education opportunities for the peasant strata, and even had an opposite effect. Father’s level of education embodied in cultural stratification is the main factor determining high school education opportunities.