Is female education 'gendered' and procedurally yet substantively practiced' in China? Insights from a systematic review and the practical theory


Alduais A., Deng M., Gokmen S. G.

REVIEW OF EDUCATION, cilt.9, sa.3, 2021 (ESCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Derleme
  • Cilt numarası: 9 Sayı: 3
  • Basım Tarihi: 2021
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1002/rev3.3302
  • Dergi Adı: REVIEW OF EDUCATION
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: education equity, female education development, female education equity, practical theory, systematic review, URBAN CHINA, INCOME INEQUALITY, RURAL CHINA, IMPACT, EMPOWERMENT, PERFORMANCE, EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH, WOMEN, GIRLS
  • Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Female education in China is an over-researched area, yet it does not provide enough evidence on the country's exact pattern of female education practice. On the one hand, the National Plan of 2010-2020 emphasises equal education policies regardless of gender type. On the other hand, reported research raises several gendered and procedural yet substantive practices of female education in China. Thus, it was essential to conduct this study to inform policymakers, practitioners and researchers on the status of this area, based on a systematic review of 47 eligible included studies conducted between 2009 and 2020, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed designs. The review answers two questions: (1) What are the substantive findings of qualitative synthesis on gender equity of female education in China? (2) Regardless of the existence or absence of gender inequity, what patterns of female education exist, and what kind of framework or model could be proposed to reform female education in China? The PRISMA guideline and SPIDER tool were used to conduct and report this study. The practical theory was also used-proposing a model that may serve to diagnose as well as intervene in the conflict of female education equity in China. Findings and conclusions showed that both gender equity and gender inequity are disadvantageous at short-term and long-term levels. For this reason, relativism might help to reduce the impact of these two patterns. While cultural and social capital is still the main impacting factor on gender equity in any country, reform should take place. Relativism could be achieved through reasonable understanding and interpretation of the sources that form the cultural and social capital. It takes place also by preventing the causes of gender gaps. These include over-interpretation and under-interpretation of gender roles, mainly those which are female. Gender should never be used as a factor in human capital.