Pedagogies of care or reproduction of inequality? The banzhuren’s role in Chinese higher education

The banzhuren is a distinctive hybrid figure in Chinese higher education who combines teaching and caring responsibilities. This study explores the multifaceted role of the banzhuren, through qualitative semi-structured interviews with senior undergraduates and faculty in one Chinese university. Three themes are derived. First, students perceive the banzhuren as a regular professor as well as a safety net, highlighting the unique authority and rapport built with this role. Second, the banzhuren provides constructive suggestions for students’ future prospects and cares for their emotional well-being through various means. Third, the banzhuren’s decisive role in the construction of the class committee, akin to a prefect system, grants certain students privileged access to exclusive opportunities. This research highlights that pedagogies of care should be examined through a critical lens which reveals it to be more complex than a seemingly benign practice separate from the reproduction of inequality. // 班主任是中国高等教育中独特的混合角色，兼具教学与关怀责任。本研究通过对中国某高校的高年级本科生和教师进行半结构化的质性访谈，探讨班主任的多重职能，并归纳出三个主题。首先，学生既将班主任视为普通教授，又将其看作安全保障，凸显了这一角色独特的权威性和与学生建立的密切关系。其次，班主任通过多种方式为学生的未来发展提供建设性建议，同时关注他们的情感需求。第三，班主任在班委会构建中发挥决定性作用，该班委会类似于学监（prefect）制度，使部分学生获得优先接触独特机会的特权。本研究强调，应以批判性视角审视关怀教育，揭示其复杂性，而非将其简单视为一种独立于社会不平等再生产之外的良性实践。