19.01.2026 The Time Inheritors: How Time Inequalities Shape Higher Education Mobility in China

"The Time Inheritors: How Time Inequalities Shape Higher Education Mobility in China" is a book by Dr. Cora Lingling Xu. Dr Xu is Associate Professor at Durham University. She is a sociologist interested in education mobilities and social inequalities. Her research examines how the intersection of class, gender, ethnicity, rural-urban divides, time, and geopolitics can shape social agents’ educational and life trajectories.

Book synopsis: 
Can a student inherit time? What difference does time make to their educational journeys and outcomes? The Time Inheritors draws on nearly a decade of field research with more than one hundred youth in China to argue that intergenerational transfers of privilege or deprivation are manifested in and through time. Comparing experiences of rural-to-urban, cross-border, and transnational education, Dr. Cora Lingling Xu shows how inequalities in time inheritance help drive deeply unequal mobility. With its unique focus on time, nuanced comparative analysis, and sensitive ethnographic engagement, The Time Inheritors opens new avenues for understanding the social mechanisms shaping the future of China and the world.

Book presentation by the author on 26 January at SOAS University of London – more information about the event can be found here.