This monograph highlights the educational experiences of rural children who are 'left behind' by their migrant worker parents in China, analyzing how this situation impacts on their aspirations and self-identity.

Yang Hong is a lecturer at Faculty of Education, Shaanxi Normal University. She received her PhD in Sociology of Education, the Institute of Education, Reading University, UK. She specializes in social justice, focusing on issues of poverty, education, gender and identity.

1 Introduction 2 The Left-behind Children Phenomenon in China 3 Family and Education 4 Riverside - the Research Context 5 University Non-aspirers and 'The Undecided' 6 University Aspirers 7 Discussion: Exploring Differences in Aspirations Within the Context of Being 'Left Behind' 8 Conclusion