中欧社会论坛 - China Europa ForumT23a Workshop presentation
Date: juillet 2009
Migrant workers often face more challenges than local workers including difficulties related to securing employment, housing, education, health care and more. In China, the migrant worker population is mainly comprised of more than 100 million peasant-workers. They leave home for urban centers where they contribute their labor to help China maintain its status as the « world’s factory ».
Throughout the history of international migration, the migrant worker community was the principal channel for rural natives to transition to city life. In China, however, due to institutional constraints, the communities of migrant workers which are treated as means of reproduction of labor force are at low levels of development.
How is the general situation of peasant-workers’ communities? What roles does local governments play in the development of peasant-workers’ communities? What’s the relations between peasant-workers’ communities and their hometowns? How do they experience their adventure and their status? These issues and its implications on the future Chinese society are of concern to our group all.