Gendered Integration and Remigration Strategies in China's Internal Migration: Through the Lens of Risk Shaped By Institutions
The hukou system limits migrants’ access to local social welfare and public services, creating a stratified civic structure that restricts their social integration and impacts remigration decisions. This paper explores how integration outcomes and remigration intentions are closely linked to migrants' risk perceptions. Migrants balance the uncertainties of remaining in cities against economic opportunities and long-term stability, further shaping these decisions by family needs and prospects for their children.
Gendered social roles play a critical role in shaping migration outcomes. While male migrants often face economic pressure to support their families, female migrants experience different dynamics. Women are less burdened with financial responsibilities, reducing perceived risks, and are more likely to remain in host cities or relocate to nearby areas rather than returning to their hometowns. They are more likely to expect to mitigate the disadvantages of non-local Hukou status through marriage. However, women's bargaining power in the market is also shaped by their hukou statuses, which may impair their agency, especially for those higher SES groups. Caregiving duties, social expectations, and career advancement disadvantages often push women toward returning to their hometowns.
The study argues that the interaction between institutional constraints and gender roles underpins integration and remigration decisions, offering a nuanced understanding of how internal migrants in China cope with migration risks and opportunities.