Livelihood strategies of multi-locational households in People`s Republic of China

(englischsprachige Veröffentlichung) China’s economic transformation over the last 30 years has been accompanied by accelerated urbanisation and a massive wave of internal migration. According to official statistics, there are more than 230 million migrant workers in China – the majority of whom can be considered as temporary migrants, as they do not enjoy the same rights and social benefits as permanent city dwellers. Nearly all of them retain a foothold in their village of origin. This book contains the results of an explorative research project among Chinese migrant workers. The empirical research was conducted in 2010 in four distinct rural–urban migration corridors in different parts of China As a conceptual anchor, the researchers used the paradigm of multi-locality to ascertain the numerous informal linkages between villages of origin and megacities at the household level. The project thus focused on the household perspective, and addressed both economic and non-economic livelihood opportunities (e. g. education of children, health care or care for the elderly). Beyond the household level, the study also looked at specific informal support networks for multi-locational households along family, kin or dialect lines. In addition to the analysis and interpretation of the research results, the book contains as an annex a selection of the transcribed original interviews with migrant workers and their family members (all translated into English). These narratives enable the reader to delve into the migrant workers’ own stories and to obtain a first-hand impression of how the migrants see their life between city and countryside. Der Weg Chinas zum Industrieland in den letzten 30 Jahren war begleitet von Urbanisierung und massenhafter Abwanderung von Arbeitskräften vom Land in die großen Städte. Nach offiziellen Statistiken hat China heute mehr als 230 Millionen Arbeitsmigranten, die aus den ländlichen Regionen in die Städte abgewandert sind. Da diese Migranten – oder Wanderarbeiter, wie Sie in Anlehnung an die chinesische Terminologie häufig genannt werden – in der Stadt nicht dieselben Rechte haben und dieselben Sozialleistungen erhalten wie die ursprünglichen Stadtbewohner, gelten sie als nicht-permanente Migranten. Das Buch von Schmidt-Kallert und Franke s