ºÚÁÏÍø

Doctoral Dissertation Defense
of
Ya Na

For the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
Cultural Foundations of Education

The Role of Vocational Schooling in the Empowerment of Rural Migrant Girls in Western China: A Comparative Study of Ethnic Mongolian Girls and Majority Han Girls

February 17, 2025
1:00–3:00 P.M.

The Role of Vocational Schooling in the Empowerment of Rural Migrant Girls in Western China: A Comparative Study of Ethnic Mongolian Girls and Majority Han Girls

Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is undervalued in Chinese society as an alternative to academic education. However, due to its accessibility for young rural migrant women, it is important to assess whether TVET provides them with capabilities that they value or whether it reproduces systemic inequities. This study examines how TVET impacts the capabilities of two cohorts of rural migrant women—ethnic minority Mongolian and majority Han women in western China. Using Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach and Seeberg’s Empowerment Capabilities in Education Framework (ECEF), it explores whether TVET empowers or restricts students. Employing an interpretive, qualitative two-case design, it draws on semi-structured interviews, observations, and field notes. This research found that although the capabilities development for both Mongolian and Han women is constrained by social and economic factors, TVET offers a meaningful opportunity for empowerment. Through TVET, both Mongolian and Han women learned to make informed choices and take action to enhance their skills, capabilities, and economic positions. The study also shows that cultural values and structural factors differently impact subgroups, where Mongolian women often enjoy greater autonomy in pursuing personal aspirations, and Han women face greater restrictions from macro-economic and cultural forces.