This paper explores how the undesirable domestic environment conditioned the social and educational experiences of students from the low-income families, exerting adverse impacts on their education performance. The analysis is based on a qualitative case study of students living in subdivided units in Hong Kong. As a global city, there exist huge social and economic disparities among the citizens in different socio-economic strata in Hong Kong. For the low-income families, the subdivided unit within a larger residential flat often becomes an affordable option for their residential needs. Government statistics showed that more than 200,000 local residents were living in subdivided units in 2021 (Census & Statistics Dept, HKSAR, 2023). The living conditions in a subdivided unit, however, are usually below the average standard of residence in the city, characterized by its small size, insufficient personal space and limited facilities. In this paper, the authors adopt a spatial perspective with the Bourdieusian framework of forms of cultural capital to analyze the nuances of the social and educational experiences of 39 students living in subdivided units in Hong Kong through qualitative semi-structured interviews. Understanding home as the educational space of students, this paper shows how the undesirable physical and social environment of subdivided unit limited the intensities and varieties of students’ activities related to their studies, resulting in their inability in accumulating objectified and embodied cultural capitals for their academic studies. Implications on policy intervention are discussed.

Authors:
Wai-leung Chan, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong
Beatrice Oi-yeung Lam, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Wai-leung Chan is currently a Senior Lecture of the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Metropolitan University of Hong Kong.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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