Abstract:

During the early socialization process, rural students complete the reproduction of underclass culture by internalizing the perspectives of the lower class on the social world and the traits conveyed by “significant others” such as their parents. Influenced by the transmission of cultural capital and the lack of economic capital, natural knowledge is internalized into their individual mental schemas, resulting in a relatively narrow scope of knowledge. The rural linguistic expression and family education culture shape rural students into adopting a “restricted linguistic code.” When peers engage in “transgressive” behaviors, rural students are prone to reproducing subcultures for the sake of “social face.” Due to the influence of paternalism and the lack of capital in rural society, rural students lack a clear understanding of their roles, experience imbalances in interpersonal relationships, and develop lower social adaptability. When parents hold low educational expectations, rural students may doubt their academic competitiveness, leading to diminished future aspirations. To foster “success from humble origins,” it is essential to reshape the rural knowledge field, establish mechanisms for cross-class social interactions, encourage rural students to exercise their agency, and actively integrate into school education to disrupt the reproduction mechanism of underclass culture.

Key words: rural students, lower-class culture, reproduction of lower-class culture, elementary socialization