Mobility In China Research Articles

Agricultural payment mechanisms, medical cost anxiety, and incomemobility in China

This study investigates the relationship between agricultural payment mechanisms, medical cost anxiety, and income mobility in China. The study made use of the World Bank (2021) Global Financial Inclusion data. Utilizing a range of figures to visually represent data trends and relationships, the study reports how agricultural payment mechanisms relate to income mobility while accounting for the impact of medical cost anxiety. The findings reveal that while agricultural payments positively affect income mobility, their effectiveness is significantly dampened by the presence of high medical expenses. Households that receive agricultural payments but face substantial healthcare costs tend to experience limited upward mobility compared to those with lower medical expenditures. The study concludes that to improve income mobility in rural China, policy interventions must address both agricultural productivity and healthcare affordability. A dual approach that integrates agricultural subsidies with healthcare reforms is recommended, focusing on expanding access to affordable healthcare, reducing out-of-pocket expenses, and strengthening social safety nets.

Analyzing disruptions in post-pandemic population return patterns: A network perspective on Chinese cities

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally reshaped global socio-economic structures, precipitating a profound transformation in people's lifestyles. An in-depth analysis of the disruptions in post-pandemic population returns patterns and the evolving driving factors can facilitate socio-economic recovery, development, and macro-control. This paper employs social network analysis to examine the spatial patterns and evolving urban locational attributes of the Population Mobility Network (PMN) during post-holiday returns in major Chinese cities amid the pandemic, assessing the impact of varying proximities on the PMN. The results indicate that: (1) During the pandemic, the geographic patterns of population mobility in China underwent significant fluctuations, with distinct regional and temporal variations, while intercity connections increasingly shifted toward shorter trips. (2) From 2019 to 2022, major Chinese cities experienced notable changes in status and connectivity, evolving into a multi-centric structure within the national population mobility network. (3) Community clusters predominantly adhere to provincial demarcations, maintaining stable structures within major urban agglomerations despite intense intra-regional competition, with clear distinctions in community stability between northern and southern regions. (4) Beyond traditional socio-economic factors, the level of digital finance has emerged as a new driver of population mobility, with the varied attributes of inter-city relationships also significantly influencing the PMN. Studying spatial patterns and urban location from the perspective of population mobility can inform post-pandemic optimization of national resource allocation and urban recovery strategies.

Spatial analysis of population mobility in China in recent years: a study based on Baidu migration big data

Spatial analysis of population mobility in China in recent years: a study based on Baidu migration big data

Exploring Digital Mobility in China’s Tourism Metaverse

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore digital mobility in the tourism metaverse through dual factors of information entropy and media functionality moderated by structural differentiation, including China’s institutional governance of information systems. The research model was constructed through influential factors to determine the digital mobility of metaverse systems using quantitative data analysis methods. Results showed that information entropy negatively influenced digital mobility. However, media functionality could be harnessed to reduce information entropy and thus enhance digital mobility in China’s tourism metaverse systems. Structural differentiation had significant moderation and mediation effects in the research model that influenced the digital mobility of Chinese tourists.

Inequity in the utilization of the home and community integrated healthcare and daily care services in older adults with limited mobility in China

BackgroundThis study aimed to analyze the needs and utilization of the home and community integrated healthcare and daily care services (“home and community care services” for short) among older adults in China and to investigate the inequity in services utilization.MethodsCross-sectional data were obtained from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Needs and utilization rates of the home and community care services in older adults of 60 years old and above were analyzed. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the factors associated with services utilization among older adults with limited mobility. Concentration index, horizontal inequity index, and Theil index were used to analyze inequity in services utilization. Decomposition analyses of inequity indices were conducted to explain the contribution of different factors to the observed inequity.ResultsAbout 32.6% of older adults aged 60 years old and above had limited mobility in China in 2018, but only 18.5% of them used the home and community care services. Among the single service utilization, the highest using rate (15.5%) was from regular physical examination. Limited mobility, age group, income level, region, self-assessed health, and depression were statistically significant factors associated with utilization of any one type of the services. Concentration indices of any one type service utilization and regular physical examination utilization were both above 0.1, and the contribution of income to inequity were both over 60%. Intraregional factor contributed to about 90% inequity of utilizing any one type service, regular physical examination and onsite visit.ConclusionsThis current study showed that older adults with needs of home and community care services underused the services. Pro-rich inequities in services utilization were identified and income was the largest source of inequity. The difference of the home and community care service utilization was great among provinces but minor across regions. Policies to optimize resources allocation related to the home and community care services are needed to better satisfy the needs of older adults with limited mobility, especially in the low-income group and the central region.

Household income mobility and adolescent subjective well-being in China: Analyzing the mechanisms of influence

BackgroundThe relationship between adult happiness and income has been a topic of extensive discussion. However, among children and adolescents, who are not directly engaged in economic activities, the relationship between household income over time and happiness is more complex and remains less explored. MethodsWe used nationally representative data from the China Family Panel Study (CFPS) from 2012 to 2018. The analytic sample consisted of 3,607 Chinese adolescents aged 10 to 19 years in 2018. Using an ordinary least squares model, we investigated the associations of 2-year (2016–2018), 4-year (2014–2018), and 6-year (2012–2018) household income mobility (i.e., upward mobility and downward mobility) with adolescents’ subjective well-being (i.e., happiness and depression) in 2018. We further explored the potential mediating effects of parental care on these associations and whether they were moderated by adolescent age, adolescent sex, and initial household economic status. ResultsWe found that upward mobility in household income was associated with decreased subjective well-being and parental care mediated this association. Furthermore, we found that the effects of upward mobility on adolescent subjective well-being varied by age, sex, and initial household economic status. Additionally, downward income mobility did not significantly impact adolescents’ subjective well-being. ConclusionOur findings emphasized that economic progress and upward mobility should not come at the expense of parental care, as this would decrease adolescents’ subjective well-being. Collaboration between the government and families is crucial to address the conflicts between work and family responsibilities, ensuring that parents are available and supportive to their children.

Perceptions of Social Mobility and Political Trust in China: The Mediating Role of Perceived Fairness

Perceptions of Social Mobility and Political Trust in China: The Mediating Role of Perceived Fairness

Digitalization of industries and labor mobility in China

The paper utilizes data from the China Family Panel Studies (2014–2018) and China's Input-Output Table to investigate how digital development affects labor mobility decisions at industry level. Our findings demonstrate that the increased levels of digitalization, both in manufacturing and services dimensions, significantly boost the likelihood of labor mobility across industries. This relationship remains valid even after considering endogeneity issues. Mechanism analysis shows that digitalization affects the cross-industry mobility decision of workers by affecting the quality of skill matching, income level, and occupational prestige. The heterogeneous results show that the impact of digital development on industry mobility decisions in the overall and manufacturing dimensions exists in the labor force in economically underdeveloped regions, the labor force engaged in consumer services, and entrepreneurs. The development of digitalization in the services dimension mainly has a strong industry crowding-out effect on the workers from economically developed regions, the workers engaged in non-productive service industries, and the workers with employment security.

Talent hat, cross-border mobility, and career development in China

Abstract This study investigates the influence of cross-border recruitment programs in China, which confer scientists with a “talent hat,” including an attractive startup package, on their future performance and career development. By curating a unique data set from China’s 10-year talent recruitment program, we employed multiple matching designs to quantify the effects of the cross-border recruitment with talent hats on early-career STEM scholars. Our findings indicate that the cross-border talents perform better than their comparable contenders who move without talent hats and those who do not move in terms of publication numbers, citation, publication quality, and collaborator numbers, given equivalent scientific performance before relocation. Moreover, we observed that scholars in experimental fields derive more significant benefits from the talent program than those in nonexperimental fields. Finally, we investigated how the changes in the scientific environment of scientists affect their future performance. We found that talents who reassembled their collaboration network with new collaborators in new institutions after job replacement experienced significant improvements in their academic performance. However, shifting research directions entails risks, which results in a subsequent decrease in future academic performances following the relocation. This study has significant implications for young scientists, research institutions, and governments concerning cultivating cross-border talents.

Translanguaging practices and language ideologies in adult migrants’ Chinese learning classrooms and beyond

ABSTRACT The arrival of trade migrants in China has increased the demand for Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) education, and their superdiverse sociolinguistic profiles also present challenges to native Chinese-speaking teachers and their monolingual teaching approach. Compared to the research on foreign traders’ mobility in China, fewer studies have explored their day-to-day language use and learning experiences. This research unpacks the complex reality of teachers and students’ language ideologies and practices in a migrant community in Yiwu. While ethnographic data showed that translanguaging was adopted for both academic and social purposes, interview data revealed three types of conflictual language ideologies, i.e. ‘supporters of multilingualism’, ‘believers of monolingualism’, and ‘pragmatists valuing functionality and practicality of languages’. Despite the discrepancies, I argue that translanguaging was not an arbitrary choice by teachers and students; instead, it represents a natural response to the superdiverse linguistic landscape of the community. This study contributes to the conceptual development of translanguaging practices as I apply it as a legitimate theoretical framework and a valid practice in CFL education and outside the West. It is suggested that multiple languages and external resources should be dynamically integrated into superdiverse classrooms to create a multilingual and multimodal learning environment.

Research on the Spatial and Temporal Patterns and Formation Mechanisms of Intergenerational Health Mobility in China

Research on the Spatial and Temporal Patterns and Formation Mechanisms of Intergenerational Health Mobility in China

Shanghai hukou, English and politics of mobility in China’s globalising economy

Abstract Amidst Shanghai’s transformation into a global metropolis and the resulting influx of internal migration, obtaining Shanghai hukou remains a challenging yet highly coveted socioeconomic aspiration. Simply earning high incomes, even for middle-class migrants, falls short of ensuring the desired level of geographical and social mobility. This article draws from a sociolinguistic ethnography conducted within a Shanghai-based multinational corporation, where migrant employees are compelled to strategise around English proficiency as a form of cultural capital to position themselves as valued neoliberal worker-citizens, driven by ambitions of career advancement and privileged hukou attainment. It argues that in China’s globalising economy, English not only enables multinational companies to stratify employees and select ideal internationalised human capital but also expedites migrant professionals’ acquisition of Shanghai hukou – a symbol of upward mobility in China. By delving into tensions and inequalities at work, this study demonstrates how English, the language of global capitalism, aligns the migrants’ interest in solidifying their middle-class status with Shanghai’s agenda of becoming an Asian-Pacific economic hub.

Spatial patterns and trends of inter-city population mobility in China—Based on Baidu migration big data

Based on Baidu migration big data from the Spring Festival travel rush periods in 2022 and 2023, this study employs a combination of GIS-based spatial statistical analysis and social network analysis to analyze over 270,000 travel data records covering 297 prefecture-level cities. The research reveals that the population flow during the 2023 Spring Festival travel rush increased both in overall quantity and in the proportion of inter-provincial population flow compared to the same period in 2022. The distribution of population movement shows a distinct “southeast dense, northwest sparse” pattern, forming a diamond-shaped structure with the Bohai Sea Rim, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Sichuan-Chongqing regions as the vertices. Among the most significant inter-city mobility routes are Guangzhou ↔ Foshan, Shenzhen ↔ Dongguan, Shanghai ↔ Suzhou, Xi'an ↔ Xianyang, and Beijing ↔ Langfang, which constitute the five routes with the highest flow volumes, each with its own distinctive patterns and characteristics. Significant agglomeration effects in population movement are observed, with the majority of the 40 cities experiencing higher net inflows situated in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions. On the other hand, many cities in the western and northeastern regions, including some third-tier and even second-tier cities, are facing net population outflows. As the working population and major economic activities increasingly concentrate in large-scale central cities, the future development of prefecture-level cities may gradually diverge.

Education Policies and Intergenerational Educational Mobility in China: New Evidence for the 1986–95 Birth Cohort

Research on educational mobility for Chinese born in or before 1976–85 abounds. Although the Compulsory Education Law implemented in 1986 and the expansion of higher education introduced in 1999 changed Chinese millennials’ educational achievements, little is known about the educational mobility for the 1986–95 birth cohort and where it stands in the long-term trends. In this study, we calculated population-level educational percentile ranks by birth cohort and gender using data from the 1982 to 2020 China Censuses before linking these ranks to respondents in Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) or China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) to document 1986–95 birth cohort's educational mobility and its historical position. We also explored the role played by offspring's hukou origin (urban or rural) and ethnicity (Han or ethnic minorities). In the 1986–95 birth cohort, women's educational percentile ranks for secondary and tertiary levels fell below men's for the first time in China, suggesting that the proportion of women in higher education overtook men's. From 1976–85 to 1986–95 birth cohorts, while educational rank-rank correlations remained stable in all parent–child dyads and were constantly higher for offspring with urban hukou origin, there is suggestive evidence on increased educational mobility for women with rural hukou origin. Ethnicity differences were not found. Our findings imply that China's Compulsory Education Law and higher education expansion may have contributed to greater educational mobility for women with rural hukou origin in the 1986–95 birth cohort and their diminished disadvantage in education.

Book Review: Roberto Castillo, African Transnational Mobility in China, Africans on the Move, London: Routledge, 2021

The prologue to this volume of the Routledge African Studies, entitled African Transnational Mobility in China, Africans on the Move, describes Roberto Castillo's experiences in China, focusing on a chance encounter with a man named Myers during a train journey. Myers, originally from Sierra Leone, shared his journey to China in search of opportunities, highlighting the challenges faced by foreigners in a new country. Castillo reflects on the uncertainties and difficulties Myers encountered in China, expressing concern for his well-being. This encounter with Myers and subsequent news events of a demonstration involving Nigerians in China, led the author to ponder the complex dynamics of immigration and cultural integration in China.

Multi-dimensional impact of COVID-19 on active mobility in urban China: a scoping review of empirical knowledge.

Active mobility, such as cycling and walking, is assuming a growing significance in the daily lives of urban residents in China due to its positive impact on health and the environment. The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic has elicited significant changes in behaviors, perceptions, and intellectual viewpoints in this domain, potentially altering residents' physical activities in the long-term. This scoping review seeks to delve into the multi-dimensional influence of the epidemic on active mobility in urban China. A thorough investigation of English and Chinese studies up to January 2024 was conducted, drawing from articles in Web of Science and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure. Only empirical studies providing knowledge into this subject were selected in the review, which comprised 20 studies in total. This review indicates that the influence of COVID-19 on active urban mobility in China has exhibited contradictory outcomes in terms of behavior. Besides, the experiences during the epidemic have significantly shaped citizens' attitudes and understanding of active mobility. The repercussions of the epidemic and the ensuing restrictions exacerbate the existing challenges faced by women, particularly those who are married, the older adult, and individuals with low incomes. The results exhibit both resemblances and idiosyncrasies when juxtaposed with prior research conducted in different nations. This analysis also offers valuable insights for improving active mobility across individual, organizational, and socio-political realms. The current state of empirical understanding in this field underscores the need for further research endeavors employing diverse methodological approaches and increased emphasis on the transformations anticipated in the post-epidemic era.

A lost land of opportunity? The geography of intergenerational educational mobility in China

AbstractDespite the significant political, economic and geographical diversity in China, there is limited research on spatial differences in intergenerational mobility in China. This research aims to fill this gap by exploring the spatial and temporal dimensions of intergenerational educational mobility in China. The data used for the analysis is the 2010–2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), a nationally representative longitudinal general social survey. The analysis incorporates both relative and absolute mobility measures to provide a comprehensive description of intergenerational educational mobility. The results reveal substantial regional differences in intergenerational educational mobility across various economic zones in China, with a rising geographic inequality over time. The southwest and northeast regions stand out as the areas where the educational prospects of the young generation have become not only bleaker but dependent more on their parents. Additionally, this study presents the first education Great Gatsby Curve for China, highlighting the strong relationship between intergenerational mobility and education inequality at the regional level, particularly after China's market reform. The findings highlight the need for regionally targeted policies and levelling up agendas to promote educational opportunities in low‐mobility regions.

Dynamic Fractional-Order Grey Prediction Model with GWO and MLP for Forecasting Overseas Talent Mobility in China

International students play a crucial role in China’s talent development strategy. Thus, predicting overseas talent mobility is essential for formulating scientifically reasonable talent introduction policies, optimizing talent cultivation systems, and fostering international talent cooperation. In this study, we proposed a novel fractional-order grey model based on the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) and Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) algorithm to forecast the movement of overseas talent, namely MGDFGM(1,1). Compared to the traditional grey model FGM(1,1), which utilizes the same fractional order at all time points, the proposed MGDFGM(1,1) model dynamically adjusts the fractional-order values based on the time point. This dynamic adjustment enables our model to better capture the changing trends in the data, thereby enhancing the model’s fitting capability. To validate the effectiveness of the MGDFGM(1,1) model, we primarily utilize Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) as the evaluation criteria for the prediction accuracy, as well as standard deviation (STD) as an indicator of the model stability. Furthermore, we perform experimental analysis to evaluate the predictive performance of the MGDFGM(1,1) model in comparison to NAÏVE, ARIMA, GM(1,1), FGM(1,1), LSSVR, MLP, and LSTM. The research findings demonstrate that the MGDFGM(1,1) model achieves a remarkably high level of prediction accuracy and stability for forecasting overseas talent mobility in China. The implications of this study offer valuable insights and assistance to government departments involved in overseas talent management.

Early Childhood Development and Social Mobility in China

Purpose Infancy and early childhood are critical stages for the development of both cognitive and socioemotional skills, which are predictive of subsequent academic success, labor market outcomes, and socioeconomic achievement. Empirical research both in China and in other countries has revealed that nurturing quality is increasingly divergent among social classes, leading to intergenerational accumulation of advantage/disadvantage, declining social mobility, and exacerbating class inequality. The article aims to systematically examine existing theoretical and empirical research on early childhood development and social mobility and provide a holistic comparative and analytical framework for future research in the context of China. Design/Approach/Methods This article systematically reviews relevant theories and empirical research in the field and provides preliminary findings of early childhood education investment in China, using the data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Specifically, the article focuses on the differences in early childhood education investment and child development among families of different socioeconomic statuses and discusses the potential impact of these differences on children's future development. Findings The findings of this study reveal distinct patterns in early childhood education investment and child development across diverse socioeconomic strata in China. China's initiatives to enhance children's education and human capital have robust theoretical foundations and timely policy implications. However, despite the ongoing efforts, early childhood parenting and education programs lack systematic research, emphasizing the urgent need for intervention programs and comprehensive databases to inform evidence-based policymaking. Originality/Value The article concludes with a comprehensive analytical framework for the study of early childhood development and social mobility in China, which has implications for promoting human capital investment and facilitating social mobility.

Elite College Education and Social Mobility in China

Elite College Education and Social Mobility in China