Mind the gap: a thematic analysis of the Chinese gap year and the formative perception of meritocratic life sequence

Thesis

Meritocracy is a system that emerged post-World War II, where performance serves as the primary means of social selection, emphasizing effort as the main way individuals achieve success. Under the invisible pressure of this system, individuals consciously regulate their behavior. In a meritocratic society, success and failure are highly standardized, and through socialization, individuals internalize these norms, leading to strong self-expectations. In China, the pursuit of meritocracy manifests as an obsession with educational attainment, with everyone living under a strict social clock, continuously striving for higher achievements without a moment's pause. This predetermined life path significantly restricts people's imagination of success. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the feasibility of this self-motivation logic and the burnout and reflection induced among individuals systematically controlled by performance-oriented systems in the Chinese context.

This study uses the concept of pausing the social clock—gap years—as a starting point to investigate how individuals who temporarily step off their tracks perceive the established societal evaluation standards. Through narrative research and semistructured interviews, the study explores how the perspectives are formed and whether they are reshaped during the gap.

The findings reveal that the gap year group cannot be treated as a whole. They can be categorized into active and passive gaps, further divided into five types based on their reasons. Their perspectives range from adhering to the advanced social clock to breaking away and establishing their own life rhythms. This offers intriguing data for studying meritocracy in China. By integrating expectancy theory, meritocracy is no longer a vague, macro concept but gains new significance in specific contexts, illustrating its stratified impact in China. This study also lays the groundwork for further international comparative research.

Authors: Cui, S

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-j2mp47qx5
• Type of award: MSc taught course
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: CIE2024; CIE; journey plots; qualitative research; temporality; meritocracy; gap year; social clock; semi-structured interviews
• Subjects: Interviews; Education; Qualitative research; Gap years; Social classes