Fragile Elite: The Dilemmas of China’s Top University Students by Susanne Bregnbæk (review)

In this engaging book, Susanne Bregnbæk applies the concept of the Oedipal project—“the universal existential need to establish some degree of separation from the will of parents and, by extension, the will of the state” (p. 4)—to understand current Chinese students studying at Tsinghua University and Beijing University (the top two universities in China). Utilizing data collected from two fieldwork projects in 2005 and 2007, respectively, the author tries to address the dilemma these students face and the ways in which they cope. She argues that these young adults, although widely regarded as successful and under little pressure, actually suffer from a double bind. They are stuck between self-sacrifice and self-realization. Two types of dilemma are discussed in this book: (a) between family and self, and (b) between state and self.

First, the either-or situation between family and self is a conflict between dependency and autonomy, or between “parental determination and self-determination” (p. 38). Bregnbæk points to the one-child policy as playing a significant role here. She illustrates that, although ended in 2015, this policy has created dramatic changes in educational and child-rearing patterns in China. In particular, the lives of Chinese students become a routine planned by the parents: one should study hard to get access to an elite middle school, then an elite high school, then an elite university, and finally a well-paid job. In this regard, many students, regardless of their achievements (even among those admitted to top elite universities), suffer from an arranged life (for example, a disliked major chosen by the parents). Also, they are under huge pressure, owing to their parents’ high expectations. This is not a new idea; it parallels the previous literature on education in China. Yet the author furthers current understanding by questioning the reason why many Chinese students choose to obey their parents and give up their own dreams.

In this realm, Bregnbæk emphasizes the importance of a traditional value: filial piety (xiao)—“filial obedience” to parents (p. 35). To be specific, Chinese children are expected to obey their parents and care about them under any and all circumstances. The story of Lao Lai-tzu (at age seventy amusing his parents by performing as a child), from the classic The 24 Paragons of Filial Piety mentioned in chapter 3, depicts the lifelong sacrifice of Chinese children for their parents. Bregnbæk’s finding echoes these filial stories. Many students with a strong desire to realize their own dreams finally comply, in spite of a more individualized contemporary Chinese society. Given the incredible investment from their parents, students are reluctant to let them down. These insights no doubt contribute to current knowledge of elite students in China; however, I wonder whether it is the emotional tie between parents and children, instead of filial piety, that functions here. As some scholars have shown, the basis of family obligation has been transformed into a reciprocal caring relation.¹ Based on my own experience, many Chinese people actually know little about the exact stories in The 24 Paragons of Filial Piety.

Another double bind is the tension between the patriarchal control of the state and personal autonomy in terms of loyalty and obedience. Loyalty here takes the shape of communist party membership, which refers to self-sacrifice for improving the whole Chinese society. However, few informants in this book take this party membership seriously; instead, they perceive it as a prerequisite for self-development (more job and funding opportunities). Some students, initially hoping to make real societal change, like Wu Liang in chapter 4, finally lose faith in their ideals and pursue wealth and material possessions. This finding reveals the attitudes of some Chinese students toward party membership. It also resonates with the literature related to the impact of consumerism on China: a pursuit of material enjoyment.

Moreover, although...