reflect in certain aspects the social and historical processes through which they are situated and through which they have lived, making them a part of history. Clarifying individuals’ consciousness and motivations when encountering major events through qualitative research is an essential component of social history studies. Thus, this study aims to use the life history method to analyze how social stratification systems in different periods influenced people’s educational actions and how individuals themselves perceived these educational choices through qualitative research on two generations living in the early and later stages of the planned economy era.3. MethodologyThis survey adopted a life history method and conducted in-depth interviews with 19 respondents born between 1949 and 1959, and between 1960 and 1977. Each interview lasted approximately two hours on average. During the invitation stage for the survey and interviews, I provided information letters and consent statements that detailed the purpose and content of the survey as well as data confidentiality measures. I also provided contact information and explained the voluntary nature of the study, allowing participants to withdraw at any time without consequences.The survey primarily focused on the significant life events of the respondents, including the environment of their birth family, their childhood living conditions, the family education they received from their parents, and their parents’ educational expectations and investment in their upbringing. It also explored respondents’ personal experiences during the Cultural Revolution, their educational background, the process of marriage and mate selection, family relationships, and expectations and investment in their children’s education. The survey results were mainly used to explain how the turbulent social environment during the planned economy era influenced respondents’ decisions regarding personal and family life as well as their children’s education.After the interviews, the conversations were transcribed and thematic analysis was conducted based on the life choices made by the respondents within different historical contexts. At present, survey participants primarily reside in Anhui Province, although their birthplaces and previous places of residence vary. During the planned economic era, the most significant factor influencing individuals’ access to educational and occupational resources was the family class status （the family’s political background）. Therefore, when selecting interviewees, I deliberately chose respondents from three different class backgrounds: working-class and peasant families, middle-class families, and formerly exploiting-class families. The aim was to explore how family class status during the planned economy era affected individuals’ opportunities for social mobility, and how education influenced people from different class backgrounds during that time.The reason for dividing the population born during the planned economy era （1949-1977） into two groups is primarily based on consideration of political changes during this period. Since 1949, macro-level education policy regulations of the Chinese government have been roughly divided into four stages.46早稲田教育評論 第 39 巻第１号
元のページ ../index.html#52