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Hukou Reform and the “Luohu” of Rural Migrants in Urban China

Author

Listed:
  • Ming Tian

    (School of Social Development and Public Policy, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

  • Qingwen Xu

    (Silver School of Social Work, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA)

  • Zhigang Li

    (School of Urban Design, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430062, China)

  • Yang Yu

    (School of Urban Design, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430062, China)

Abstract

Along with a series of reforms of the household registration, or the hukou system, there has been a sustained call for its reforms to further integrate rural migrants into cities and sustain the national strategy of urbanization. Nevertheless, does hukou still matter? Is it still a major obstacle to the inclusive development of post-reform urban China? Recently, the effect of the hukou system and its reforms has become a debatable topic. To address the question, in this article, we examine the “luohu” of rural migrants, i.e., rural people who work and/or live in the city obtaining urban hukou, to evaluate the effects of hukou reforms. We argue, along with the improvement of China’s social security system in both urban and rural areas, as well as the increased rights of rural migrants in cities, that the gap between the “value” of urban and rural hukou is decreasing: the boundaries set between urban and rural territories have been diminished; meanwhile, the intentions of rural migrants to luohu in the city have declined. This dilemma indicates that the impact of hukou system per se is fading, which is closely linked to the reforms of other social policies such as welfare and pension systems. As such, to promote the integration of rural migrants in Chinese cities, the focus of China’s hukou reforms should shift from the registration system to more inclusive social policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Ming Tian & Qingwen Xu & Zhigang Li & Yang Yu, 2022. "Hukou Reform and the “Luohu” of Rural Migrants in Urban China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-10, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:23:p:15683-:d:983836
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Li Zhang & Li Tao, 2012. "Barriers to the Acquisition of Urban Hukou in Chinese Cities," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 44(12), pages 2883-2900, December.
    2. Song, Yang, 2014. "What should economists know about the current Chinese hukou system?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 200-212.
    3. Cynthia Bansak & Sarah Pearlman, 2021. "The impact of legalizing unauthorized immigrants," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 245-245, May.
    4. Afridi, Farzana & Li, Sherry Xin & Ren, Yufei, 2015. "Social identity and inequality: The impact of China's hukou system," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 17-29.
    5. Kam Wing Chan, 2010. "The Household Registration System and Migrant Labor in China: Notes on a Debate," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 36(2), pages 357-364, June.
    6. Youqin Huang, 2004. "The road to homeownership: a longitudinal analysis of tenure transition in urban China (1949–94)," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 774-795, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yang Yang, 2023. "Hukou Identity and Economic Behaviours: A Social Identity Perspective," Erudite Ph.D Dissertations, Erudite, number ph23-02 edited by Catherine Bros & Julie Lochard, February.

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