Migration Experience of Floating Population in China: A Case Study of Women Migrant Domestic Workers in Beijing

This dissertation, "Migration Experience of Floating Population in China: a Case Study of Women Migrant Domestic Workers in Beijing" by Man, Guo, 郭漫, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. Abstract: ABSTRACT Abstract of thesis entitled "Migration Experience of Floating Population in China: A Case Study of Women Migrant Domestic Workers in Beijing" Submitted by: GUO, Man for the degree of Master of Philosophy at The University of Hong Kong in February, 2006 One of the most significant social phenomena in contemporary China is its large-scale internal migration. Millions of people, known as the 'floating population', have imposed immense influence on all aspects of the Chinese society and their migrations received extensive attention from both researchers and policy makers. Despite the proliferation of literature on the floating population, few empirical studies have been conducted to explore their migration experience, particularly that of the female migrants. To fill the research gap, this study aims to explore the migration experience of a particular group of the floating population - women migrant domestic workers. An integrative three-stage-migration framework and two variable clusters are developed to help understand the whole migration process and its influential factors. This study relies on the qualitative research methods of case study and semi-structured, in-depth interviews, in order to obtain the migrant worker's self account of their migration experience. 24 domestic workers working in Beijing were interviewed during the 2summer in 2004. Narratives from the informants indicate that although the migration experience for individual domestic worker varies, like most of the floating population, they commonly encounter the problems of unfair treatment in the work sphere and unfavorable living conditions. They are also excluded from various welfare supports in their destinations. As household servants, domestic workers are subject to more pervasive and sometimes severer exploitation over their labours. Although they benefit from the migration experience through the increased access to money and knowledge, as well as their chances to upward mobility, their institutional inferiority leaves them with few options for economic betterment and upgrade of social status. By providing invaluable qualitative accounts on the individual migrant's experience, this study helps suggest process-oriented and problem-coping strategies to facilitate the migration process of the floating population. It also aims to reveal the necessities to introduce regulations to improve the working and living conditions of the migrant workers in general and domestic workers in particular. Finally, the three-migration-stage framework and background variables lead the way to future research on the floating population that also fits the Chinese situation. (341 words). 3 DOI: 10.5353/th_b3531838 Subjects: Women migrant labor - China - Beijing - Social conditions Women migrant labor - China - Beijing - Biography Women household employees - China - Beijing - Social conditions Women household employees - China - Beijing - Biography