An Investigation Into Disadvantaged College Students' Participation In Student Societies

At present, the issue of financially disadvantaged students is greatly attended to in China. The governments at different levels, social organizations, individuals, etc. have made great efforts to help them finish college study by providing financial aids. However, the issue is not restricted to the finance, but involves problems concerning psychology, study, activity participation, interpersonal relationship, employment, etc. Virtually, all these problems reveal themselves along with these students' shaping, and have an increasingly negative impact on their sound development. Therefore, it is one of key projects in China's higher education to take up concept transformation and effective measures in order to roundly settle the disadvantaged-college-student issue, enhance their comprehensive qualities and abilities, and promote the equal access to higher education. The student societies have been essential to college students' life and study on campus, and regarded as an important fostering approach by the governments and universities and colleges. The thesis conducts an investigation into disadvantaged college students' participation in student societies, which aims to deepen the understanding in this area, encourage the participation, and put forward a new perspective and raise theoretical and practical supports in aiding the disadvantaged students.Adopting the approaches of questionnaire, interview, data analysis, etc., the thesis probes into the condition of disadvantaged students' participation in student societies in F University, explores the influential factors and the student societies' significance to the students, and arrives at the conclusions as follows:â… . According to students' different financial status, the participation varies greatly with regard to the student number, gender, grade, major, post, type and involvement.â…¡. As a complex social phenomenon, the participation is affected by the individual experience, will and cognition, by the certain economic, cultural and socio-psychological factors corresponding to the family and the social class, and by the particular societies' integral condition including number and quality, outlay and equipments, information and guidance, and atmosphere.â…¢. The participation is beneficial to promote the human, social, and cultural capitals which are closely connected with the employment, and enable the realization of college spirits, such as students' autonomy, campus harmony, and equality in education.To teach one how to fish rather than just giving one a fish. In dealing with the growing number of disadvantaged college students, the aiding concept of "production" instead of "transfusion" should be adopted. As for the difficulties that the students face in taking part in the societies, the following are suggested: to carry out the instructions for the participation and its values, to establish the guarantee measures, to enhance the societies' quality, and thus to encourage the participation. Thereby, the students' quality and ability are advanced, in order to achieve the poverty-stricken families' social mobility, and strive for the equality in higher education's access, process and result.