Study Gods: How the New Chinese Elite Prepare for Global Competition

by Yi-Lin Chiang

How privileged adolescents in China acquire status and why this helps them succeed

Study Gods offers a rare look at the ways privileged youth in China prepare themselves to join the ranks of the global elite. Yi-Lin Chiang shows how these competitive Chinese high schoolers first become "study gods" (xueshen), a term describing academically high-performing students. Constant studying, however, is not what explains their success, for these young people appear god-like in their effortless abilities to excel. Instead, Chiang explores how elite adolescents achieve by absorbing and implementing the rules surrounding status.

Drawing from eight years of fieldwork and extensive interviews, Chiang reveals the important lessons that Chinese youth learn in their pursuit of elite status. They understand the hierarchy of the status system, recognizing and acquiring the characteristics that are prized, while avoiding those that are not. They maintain status by expecting differential treatment and performing status-based behaviors, which guide their daily interactions with peers, teachers, and parents. Lastly, with the help of resourceful parents, they rely on external assistance in the face of potential obstacles and failures. Chiang looks at how students hone these skills, applying them as they head to colleges and careers around the world, and in their relationships with colleagues and supervisors.

Highlighting another facet of China's rising power, Study Gods announces the arrival of a new generation to the realm of global competition.

Genres: China, Sociology, Education

288 pages, Paperback

Published August 23, 2022

Reviews

[Kai Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an impressive scholarly work: A sociological qualitative long-term study of a group of nearly 30 Chinese youngsters, whose educational and early professional careers the author followed over a course of 8 years. She's defining her concepts (e. g. "elite") in terms that are quite accessible to non-sociologists, describes her process and methodology in the same manner, and groups her topics well into distinct chapters, covering topics like peer interactions among students, student-teacher interactions, student-parent interactions. The writing is anecdotal and therefore occasionally even entertaining - and the conclusions she draws from her observations seem to be reasonable.
Well worth reading.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well structured and well written research work.
Other than providing sufficient substantial information of the topic, It brings also pleasure when reading.

[Calvin Yuan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been through a mix of Chinese and Western education system myself, I consider this book offers a fair outsider perspective on how a small but important part of Chinese education works. The phenomena described are common across the country. I was particularly delighted to see the author analyzing how the exam-based selection system had a long-term influence on the students well beyond high school.

I wish the book can have a bit more of a personal anecdotes to make the lives of students more vivid. Currently, the book remains a bit too academic, making me not be able to memorize any of the students’ name.

[Graham Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book fascinating. As someone who has taught at a high-end Asian international school as well as university, it was interesting to see that there's another level above what I've seen. The best scene was when the students were told too many of them were applying for the same major at the same university and they quickly try to settle the issue among themselves - very intense! I'm incredibly surprised at the level of access the researcher obtained.

I do wish the book had spent a little more time on their lives after high school. We get glimpses, but not as concrete as the high school experience. A big thing I wanted to know about was a time breakdown for the people at American universities, given how difficult it would be to fill the hours anywhere close to the scheduling of their high school.

It was also a little uncomfortable/oddly handled in terms of when the students would guide the writer away from outcast students. Obviously the writer didn't want to jeopardize their position, but there could've been more commentary on that or more interrogation of that moment in later interviews.

In terms of the writing, this book was more readable than the vast majority of academic books out there - while it suffered a little from repetition, it avoided two big common problems skillfully: the literature review is very, very unobtrusive, and the research question/purpose is not unnecessarily grandiose or over-stated.

[RYAN PHAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

A look into China’s educational caste system of study gods, studyholics, underachievers, and losers. The more academic success you are able to garnish with the least amount of effort possible, the more social status you have. Teachers, classmates and parents recognize it and grant you a lot more leeway when you do well. Meanwhile, if you are an average student, you get policed like crazy and are expected to revere the teachers and parents. It’s a weird system.

[苍妤 · Rating 3 out of 5]

读得挺快的，有些共鸣但很少收获。给我的冲击不如《金榜题名之后》，看了豆瓣评论，主要集中在「选题很好，分析实证不足」，我认同，很好地概括了我的感受。深感北京贵族学校的学生和我们山河四省衡水模式，天壤之别啊……看《我在美国做家教》也有同样的感受。唉，这个不平等的社会。

[Emma Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fascinating look at the gaokao system and the high status students pursuing internationally competitive college admission strategies.

[Alyssa Geng · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really do not know. but pinnacle, can i say thank you?