1. Xiaoyi Jin1,2 Shuzhuo Li (Principal Investigator)1
Elder-care, Gender, and Son Preference: The role of cultural transmission and diffusion during the process of rural-urban migration in China
Xiaoyi Jin1,2 Shuzhuo Li (Principal Investigator)1
Marcus W. Feldman 2 and
Haifeng Du1,2
1Institute for Population and Development Studies Xi’an Jiaotong University
2Morrison Institute for Population and Resource Studies Stanford University

2. CONTENTS 1. Background 2. Study Design 3. Survey & Data 4. Results
4.1 Brief characteristics of respondents
4.2 General features of out-migrating children and parents
4.3 Impact of social network on attitude evolution
4.4 Impact of out-migration on financial support
4.5 Summary
5. Analysis in progress

3. 1. BACKGROUND Rural-urban migration
Household registration system (hukou) before 1978, confined most Chinese citizens to their place of birth;
Economic reforms since 1978 caused a significant rural labor surplus (the real unemployment rate is 34.8% for rural areas);
Urban-biased and pro-coastal development policy enabled cities to achieve rapid economic growth and attracted labor migration from rural to urban areas since the mid-1980s;
140 million rural migrants residing in cities without required permanent legal status, 30% of rural labor force;
Circular migrants, moving back and forth frequently between rural and urban areas.
Increasingly important in Chinese demographic change and social development.

4. Features
Urban population grows much faster than total population, especially in ;
Rural-urban migration turns out to be the dominant source of Chinese urban growth in ;
Most migration takes place across provinces, from inland rural areas to coastal urban areas;
Distances matter in the migration;
Provinces having the highest proportion of emigration:
Sichuan (19%), Henan (14%), Anhui (11%),
Hunan (8%), and Jianxi (6%);
Provinces having the highest proportion of immigration:
Guangdong (31%), Zhejiang (10%), and Fujian (6%).

5. 1. BACKGROUND Evolution of attitudes and behaviors Rural areas:
Strict patrilineal family system, low economic development level & strong son preference;
Urban areas:
Son preference has been weakened by the process of modernization and improvement of the social security system;
Rural-urban migrants:
Dramatic change of lifestyle and formation of new social networks have influenced their attitudes and behaviors.

7. Rural-urban migrants at a city railway station
Strange environment: Eager eyes

8. Walking on the downtown street
Rural-urban migrants and a permanent urban resident

9. 1. BACKGROUND Phenomena:
The original, strongly male-biased culture and behaviors are influenced by the modern culture in cities (evidence from two survey: “A Survey of Female Migrants in Pudong, Shanghai”, 2002; “A Survey of Rural-urban Migrants in Shenzhen”, 2005)
Later marriage1,2;
Later childbearing1;
Weakened son preference1,3 but still with high SRB (Sex Ratio at Birth) in short term1,4;
Aging & old-age support
Increased problems for elderly non-migrants5
Source:
1. Research report, “A survey of rural-urban migrants in Shenzhen, China”, Dec. 2005
2. Jin, Xiaoyi, et. al Impacts of social network and integration on first marriage of female rural-urban immigrants: Evidence from survey in Pudong, Shanghai, Population and Economics (4):
3. Li Shuzhuo, Wu Haixia, and Marcus W. Feldman “Social network and son preference of rural-urban migrants in China: The case of Shenzhen”. Seminar on Female Deficit in Asia: Trends and Perspectives, December 5-7. Singapore
4 . Wu Haixia, Li Shuzhuo, and Yang Xusong “Rural-urban migration and sex ratio at birth in urban China.” Population and Economics (6):
5. Zeng, Yi and James Vaupel The impact of urbanization and delayed childbearing on population growth and aging in China. Population and Development Review 15 (3):

10. 1. BACKGROUND Questions: Old-age support & son preference
How does the restructured social network influence migrants’ attitudes and behaviors towards aging life and son preference?
How does gender of the migrants influence intergenerational transfer?
Will the out-migration of females influence the traditional patrilineal pattern of old-age support?
Do the migrants give more financial help to their parents remaining in rural areas?
How much emotional support do elderly non-migrants receive from their out-migrating children?
Is the intergenerational transfer reciprocal?

11. 2. STUDY DESIGN 2.1 Objectives
Migrants’ social networks in urban areas and integration into urban societies;
Evolution of attitudes and behaviors and their socio-demographic implications;
Complex network models;
Policy suggestions to improve social integration and sustainable development.

12. 2.2 Methods
Methodology:
Combining methods of sociology, demography, statistics, and complexity science, etc.
Quantitative methods
Social survey
Statistical analysis
Social network analysis
Simulation
Public policy analysis

13. 2.3 Framework

14. 3.1 Selection of Survey Sites
3. SURVEY & DATA
Shenzhen, Guangdong province
Location: South of Guangdong;
History: Set up in 1979, established as “special economic region” in 1980;
Features: Representative of coastal and well-developed cities in China;
Six districts: Luohu, Futian, Nanshan, Yantian, Bao’an and Longgang;
Economy: High-tech, advanced manufacturing and service industries; the 4th highest GDP among Chinese cities in 2003.
Population (2000 census)
Total number: 7,008,800
Average age: 30.8
Ratio of migrants to permanent urban residents: 4.3:1
Features: High density, Rapid increase, Low education level of labor force

16. Shenzhen

17. 3.2 Survey Components and Sampling Survey
Community investigation, in-depth interviews and focus group discussion
Random street interviews
Respondents: Permanent urban residents and rural-urban migrants
4 survey sites: Commercial streets
Implementation: April 18, 2005, 1 day
Number of qualifying questionnaires: 1,011
Sampling survey (details are shown as follows)
Respondents: Rural-urban migrants

18. 3.2.2 Sampling Survey
Classification of the respondents in sampling survey
Scattered residence: rural-urban migrants living in communities with high or medium proportion of permanent urban residents;
Concentrated residence: rural-urban migrants living together within a relatively concentrated community, with few permanent urban residents.

19. Sampling Survey
Duration of the sampling survey: April 20-27, 2005
Composition of the sampling survey:
Sampling survey
Survey sites
Sample types
Size
Remarks
Nanshan
Scattered residence in a village
209
Survey sites of concentrated residence: 3
Survey sites of scattered residence: 5
Total samples:
1739
Concentrated residence in 2 construction companies
136 47
Scattered residence
224
Luohu
252
250
Yantian
253
Longgang
Concentrated residence in 1 company
200
Bao’an
Concentrated residence in 2 companies 76 92

20. Survey sites(1): Concentrated residence
Entrance of Airmate Co.
Dormitory of Airmate company, most of the workers living together
Respondents of Airmate are from one of the buildings, they live in the same floor and undertake the same kind of work.

21. Survey sites(1): Concentrated residence
Interviews
Dormitory

22. Survey sites(2): Scattered residence

23. Sampling Survey
Contents of the questionnaire

24. 3.2.2 Sampling Survey Sampling: methods and principles
Scattered residence: Systematic sampling
4 townships of 3 districts: Luohu, Yantian, and Nanshan
Concentrated residence: Cluster sampling
2 construction companies and 3 manufacturing companies in 3 districts: Nanshan, Longgang and Bao’an

25. 3.2.2 Sampling Survey Network data collection
Ego Network
-Data collected from “Scattered & Concentrated Residence”
Respondents from Scattered Residence live dispersed among various communities, most of them have no contact with each other;
Data for statistical analysis.
Whole Network
-Data collected from “Concentrated Residence”
Respondents from Concentrated Residence live in the same community or dormitory (factories or construction sites) ;
they are likely to know each other_ socio-matrix can be structured;
Data for social network analysis, and complexity studies.

29. 4. RESULTS 4.1 Brief characteristics of respondents
Demographics of the samples from sampling survey
Total No. of Samples: 1739
Percent (%)
Gender
Nationality
Male (888 samples)
51.1
Han
96.5
Female (851 samples)
48.9
Minority
3.5
Age
Marriage
15-24
27.0
Never-married
32.0
25-34
40.0
Ever-married
68.0
35+
32.9
Average monthly income (yuan)
Situation before entering Shenzhen
4.0
Temporary laborers in other cities
19. 6
1-799
20.2
Farmers
50.8
800～999
15.0
Rural students
25.9
1000～1499
32.5
No. of jobs ever had
since entering Shenzhen
1500～1999
11.8
2000～2999
7.4
4.1
3000+
9.2 1
55.4
Average years in Shenzhen
6.78(years) 2
20.6
Way of entering Shenzhen 3
10.6
With fellow-villagers, family members or others
62.9 4+
9.3
Alone
37.1

30. Occupations of the samples for sampling survey

31. 4. RESULTS 4.2 General features of out-migrating children and parents
Basic information of parents
Intergenerational support
(financial, grandchild-care, emotional support)
Discussion network about aging life
(network size, basic information of network members)
Attitudes toward future aging life
Comparison between migrants and city residents

39. 4. RESULTS 4.3 Impact of social network on attitude evolution
Analysis Framework
Overall effect of network members =
Ii: degree of intimacy of network member i,
Ai: attitude of network member i;
Weak ties:
Network members are Managers, Owners of private enterprise, Professional and technical personnel, and Officers.

42. 4. RESULTS 4.4 Impact of out-migration on financial support
Analysis Framework

43. 4. RESULTS 4.4 Impact of out-migration on financial support
Regression models
Dependent variables
Whether increase the amount of financial support to parents after migration
(Logistic Regression Model)
2. Amount of financial support to parents after migration
(OLS Regression Model)
Independent variable
Gender of out-migrating children
Control variables
Migration experiences:
Years since first out-migration, times back home per year
Individual characteristics:
Age, education, number of offspring, spouse living in home town, income, spouse’s income, current financial help to other set of parents
Parents’ characteristics:
Survival status, age, physical status, coresiding with individual’s children, coresiding with other married children, main source of income, current financial help to child

47. 4. RESULTS 4.5 Summary Basic characteristics of parents:
Parents of married children, especially parents of husbands, are older, more likely to live with grandchildren and rely on their children financially;
Gender difference: Consequence of Patrilineal family system
Stronger financial transfer between unmarried sons and parents;
Husbands’ parents receive more financial help and provide more childcare;
Unmarried daughters give more emotional support to parents;
Married daughters give balanced emotional support to two sets of parents.
Impact of children’s out-migration on old parents:
Increasing financial help
Decreasing emotional support and excess burden of child-care;

48. 4. RESULTS 4.5 Summary Discussion network about aging life
Smaller than marriage and childbearing discussion networks;
Strong ties (blood and geographical relations) are dominant but not in marriage and contraceptive use discussion networks.
Attitudes toward future aging life
More options for aging life after migration;
Females are influenced more significantly by urban culture.
Comparison of migrants and permanent urban residents
Rural migrants are more likely to rely on saving and children.

49. 4. RESULTS
4.5 Summary
Impact of discussion network on attitude evolution
Attitudes of discussion network members significantly influence migrants’ attitudes towards old-age life and son preference;
Migration increases the likelihood of having a plan for living apart from children;
Weak ties in the discussion network and longer duration of living in cities weaken individual’s son preference;
→Rural-urban migration helps to accelerate the process of attitude evolution.

50. 4. RESULTS
4.5 Summary
Impact of out-migration of married children on financial support to parents
Both males and females provide more financial help to natal parents after migration
→ Out-migration of females could change the traditional pattern of old-age support and weaken son preference in rural China;
Gender difference:
Females are likely to give parents-in-law more financial support
→ Patrilineal family system is still dominant;
Grandparents receive more remittance when they take care of grandchildren
→ Intergenerational transfer between parents and their migrant children is reciprocal.

51. 5. Analysis in progress
Impacts of network on individuals’ plans for old-age support:
Preference of living arrangements: Gender difference
Preference of old-age support pattern
Impacts of out-migration on pattern of old-age support:
Family structure of the elderly
Pattern of intergenerational transfer: Before and after migration
Impacts of out-migration on migrant’s parents:
Emotional well-being and health status
Excess burden of childcare
Implications of female out-migration:
New pattern of old-age support?
Mitigating son preference? Relaxing patrilineal family system?
Policy suggestions

52. Thanks for your attention!