Another interviewee, H, who was born into an exploiting-class family, also talked about her experiences with university admission and job opportunities during the Down to the Countryside Movement: “When I was sent to the countryside, there were quotas for attending university or getting jobs in the cities. These were recommended by the brigade, but there were conditions: one needed connections （guanxi） and had to come from a good family background. At that time, I was recommended by the brigade, but since my father was a representative of the capitalist class, I was ultimately disqualified.”For respondents born between 1949 and 1959, the political background of the family was the decisive factor determining access to education and employment opportunities. During this period, it is evident that the children of the exploiting class, who had relatively high cultural and economic standing before the planned economy, were classified as having a lower political status. Consequently, their educational attainment and employment levels were significantly lower than those of children from the working and peasant classes, who were regarded as having a higher political status.The invisible transmission of cultural capital across generationsDuring the Cultural Revolution, access to educational opportunities was directly related to the political background of one’s family, often resulting in children from exploiting class backgrounds being at a disadvantage. This does not mean that the children in the exploiting class lacked cultural literacy. In contrast, through investigations of the personal histories of these children, we found that even during the Cultural Revolution, when formal education was completely halted, cultural capital continued to be covertly transmitted within families.For example, interviewee G mentioned that, after the Cultural Revolution began in 1966, schools at all levels began to shut down for revolutionary activities. G’s father, a middle school principal, discouraged his children from becoming Red Guards or participating in revolutionary activities. Instead, he encouraged them to read novels, practice calligraphy and study at home.As a result, even though G was sent down to the countryside and had no access to textbooks or learning materials, except for a copy of the “Quotations from Chairman Mao,” G would work during the day and practice calligraphy using the “Quotations from Chairman Mao” and write in a diary at night. Due to G’s exceptional language skills, G began working as a substitute teacher in rural areas in 1972. However, due to the family’s political background, G was unable to leave the countryside or return to the city. It was not until the Cultural Revolution was nearing its end in 1975 that G could return to the city and secure employment. After the economic reforms, G pursued education through adult education programs and obtained a college diploma.Throughout our investigation, we found that although the children of the exploiting class had significantly fewer educational and employment opportunities than the children of the working and peasant classes during the Cultural Revolution, many of them managed to achieve academic advancement through adult education or the national college entrance examination after the 1980s, The Family Status Achievement and Educational Strategies during The Planned Economy era （1949-1978） in China: Focusing on the Life History Analysis of the Chinese Born between 1949 and 197851
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