The Migrant and the Household: Understanding Chinas Floating Population

1
The Migrant and the HouseholdUnderstanding
Chinas Floating Population

• C. Cindy Fan
• Department of Geography, UCLA
• July 11, 2007

2

• Level of urbanization
• 1982 21
• 2006 43
• 2015 gt 50
• Rural-urban migration main source of urban
  growth

3
(No Transcript)
4
The 30 largest interprovincial migration flows,
1990 census.
5
The 30 largest interprovincial migration flows,
2000 census.
6
(No Transcript)
7

• Floating population (stock measure)
• individuals not living at the place of
  registration (hukou location)
• Early 1980s 30 million
• Early to mid-1990s 70-80 million
• 2005 150 million
• 2015 200 million (projected)
• 2025 250 million (projected)

8
(No Transcript)
9
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_National_Stad
ium
10
The Hukou Paradigm
http//china.zjol.com.cn/05china/system/2007/03/11
/008235873.shtml
11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
We will accelerate the establishment of a social
safety net targeted at rural migrant workers in
cities -- Premier Wen Jiabao, March 5,
2007
15

• Hukou a sample of reforms and changes
• 1997 hukou reforms in small towns and selected
  cities
• (stable job legal place to stay)
• 1998 new guidelines, including family
  reunification
• 2003 directive affirming migrants rights to
  work
• 2007 MPS report (legal place to stay)
• Autonomy of city governments to establish own
  criteria

16

• Household as a unit of analysis
• Wallace (2002)
• rapid social changes
• more women in labor force
• large informal economy
• Conventional household strategy approach
• economic reasoning
• Non-economic factors
• keeping family intact
• power relations, gender hierarchy
• New Economics of Migration theory

17

• Permanent settlement paradigm
• There is nothing so permanent as a temporary
  migrant
• International migration
• non-permanent and circular migration increased
• the best of both worlds
• keeping family at the origin

18
(No Transcript)
19

• Security
• Countryside
• Land
• House
• Low cost of living
• Social security
• City
• Income opportunities

20

• Household strategy
• Division of labor
• Economic security
• Social security and obligations

21
(No Transcript)
22
(No Transcript)
23
(No Transcript)
24
(No Transcript)
25

• Social security and obligations
• Maintain close ties
• Obligations to parents
• Supporting children

26

• Will rural migrants stay in the city or return to
  the countryside?
• Mixed evidence
• Sichuan and Anhui Study
• 1995
• 2005

27
Household 1

28

• 1995
• Migrant work is not a long-term solution. After
  several years Ill return.
• 2005
• I cannot take the children with me to the
  city. School is too expensive there. I live
  at the construction site. If my wife and
  children go there, we will have to rent a place
  they stay home mainly because of financial
  consideration. Another reason why we dont
  settle down in the city is my work is
  unpredictable. When there is no new
  construction work, everybody will have to
  return.

29

• Seasonal migration and circularity
• I began migrant work in 1983. After getting
  married in 1984, I stayed home to farm for two
  years. In 1987, I worked in a coal mine. Then,
  between 1988 and 1990, I stayed home to farm and
  build a house. I began migrant work again in
  1991. Every year, I returned home before the
  Spring Festival and helped with planting before
  going out again. In 2004, I stayed home to farm.
  My wife went out that year.

30
Household 2

31
Household 3

32

• 1995
• Dagong is great, but it is not a long-term
  solution. People like us I have a wife,
  children, and a house I will eventually return
  to farm.
• 2005
• Our whole lives, we will be peasants (nongmin).
  Our hukou is in the village, our land is in the
  village. Cities are, of course, great. But we
  cannot afford to think about that maybe in
  another 8 or 10 years. First, we must earn enough
  money for our daughters education. If they are
  admitted into top universities and have their
  hukou moved there, then they may be considered
  urban people.

33
Household 4

34

• 25 year-old daughter, 2005
• I am a village person (nongcunren). I dont
  know if I am considered a peasant (nongmin). I
  dont know how to farm, and I dont like farming.
  My parents are aging, so I may have to learn to
  farm. In the future, I will probably live in the
  village to take care of my parents. I like
  quiet places there is less pollution in the
  countryside.

35

• Conclusion
• Household as a unit of analysis
• Household strategy
• Migrant work as a way of life
• a long-term, temporary solution
• Will rural migrants settle in the city?
• economic and social security
• Permanent settlement vs. circular migration