“The “No Way Out” Experiences of Daughters of Migrant Workers in Inland China: Based on the Life History Narratives of “Left-Behind Children” and “Migrant Children”…

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  • 中国内陸部における農民工の娘たちの「仕方がない」経験―「留守児童」・「流動児童」としてのライフヒストリーを手掛かりに―

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Abstract

With the introduction of the Socialist Market Economy in the 1990s, China has witnessed mass migration of working-age people from inland rural villages to coastal urban areas. Previous research reveals that rural people migrate because there is “no way out” from the disparity between urban and rural areas rather than for self-fulfillment. With this in mind, this study focuses on the experiences of daughters of migrant workers who were born in the 1990s and grew up as “left behind” or “migrant” children who, in the absence of their parents, have also had “no way out but to adapt.” Based on interviews, the paper explores how four young women who attended local schools in X County, Hubei Province have struggled with limited choices in the context of urban-rural disparity. Their life histories reveal “no way out” experiences of growing up without sufficient parental care. Furthermore, as their parents find “no way out but to return” to rural villages upon retirement, daughters are compelled to take care of their aging parents, often by giving up their own wayout. Focusing on such “no way out” experiences, this study highlights the structural injustices embedded in the urban-rural duality.

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