Photo Credit: Wang Zhi

“It is estimated that nearly 60 million children are left behind in rural hometowns while one or both parents work in manufacturing or city jobs. “

~ from Chapter 6 of China’s Economic Supertrends by Jason Inch

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2 Comments for Photo of the Day: China’s “Floating” Population

Chris Devonshire-Ellis

A huge number, I agree. But didn’t the West go though much the same thing? Parents have always made sacrifices for their children, and China’s family culture to support the migrant worker has always been strong. The question is whether or not there are any abnormal social consequences. Nice photo though, we’ve all seen scenes like that.

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moderator

Thanks for the comment. Indeed this is a really complex issue, one which I am thinking about a lot these days.

I agree that the idea of sacrifice for one’s children is hardly unique to China, but I believe it has been acculturated more through Confucianism in China rather than, say, traditional family values or simple morality in other countries.

When it comes to migration, I also agree that migration itself is not unique (even while, as you point out, is much larger), but the major difference is that in China it has been institutionalized by the state through policies that encouraged uneven development of China, geographically speaking. I refer to the Eastern, Central, and Western belts, as one example, and how these belts are used to demarcate development priorities.

Nor are certain aspects of the migrant worker culture—sending money home to those left behind in the hometown, for example—unique to China. I am reminded of how overseas Filipino workers send a significant portion of earnings back home.

The full social consequences of China’s repeated migrations are yet to be seen. I think, at the least, China is in for some major demographic changes as workers stay home in greater numbers.

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