Chinese Journal of Sociology

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A Cross Generational Comparison of the Social Cohesion of Migrant Workers in China

Author 1: LI Peilin, Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Sociology Division,EInstitute of Shanghai University; 
Author 2: TIAN Feng, Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences   

  1. Author 1: LI Peilin, Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Sociology Division,EInstitute of Shanghai University; 
    Author 2: TIAN Feng, Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
  • Online:2012-09-20 Published:2012-09-20
  • Contact: Author 1: LI Peilin, Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Sociology Division,EInstitute of Shanghai University E-mail:lipl@cass.org.cn;
  • About author:Author 1: LI Peilin, Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Sociology Division,EInstitute of Shanghai University; Author 2: TIAN Feng, Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

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Abstract:

Although China’s urbanization has reached more than 50 percent, this rapid process is still incapable of measuring up with industrialization, leading to a prominent problem of hundreds of millions of migrant workers unable to integrate or merge themselves into the urban society. Based on the data of the Chinese Social Survey conducted by the Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 2011 (CSS,CASS2011), this paper describes the social cohesion of the old and new generations of migrant workers on the economic, social, psychological, and identity dimensions, and analyzes the impact of human capital, social capital, and policy systems on their social cohesion. This study has found that, although there is no fundamental difference in the status of social cohesion across migrant generations, human capital, which affects social cohesion, is more significantly reflected in the migrant workers’ job skills than years of education; policy systems have also an important impact on social cohesion; migrant workers’ social cohesion does not necessarily follow the economicsocialpsychologicalidentity sequence; and the cohesion at the economic level does not guarantee the cohesion at the other levels.

Key words: migrant workers,, social cohesion, , urbanization