ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
This study examines the intersecting challenges of educational equity, social identity construction, and cultural capital accumulation among student-athletes in Chinese higher vocational colleges. Drawing on Bourdieu's cultural capital theory and social identity theory, this research investigates how vocational student-athletes navigate dual roles while confronting systemic barriers in resource allocation, identity formation, and capital conversion. Through a comprehensive analysis of recent policy developments and empirical evidence from 2020-2025, this study reveals that vocational student-athletes face unique disadvantages compared to their university counterparts, including limited academic support systems, stigmatized social identities, and constrained pathways for converting athletic achievements into educational or career advantages. The findings highlight critical policy implementation gaps in China's sports-education integration initiatives, particularly in vocational education contexts. This study contributes to the literature by extending cultural capital and social identity frameworks to the under-researched population of vocational student-athletes, offering theoretical insights and practical implications for promoting educational equity and supporting dual-career development in vocational education systems.
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