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COVID-19 and social inequality in China: the local–migrant divide and the limits of social protections in a pandemic
[Impact of risk perception on migrant workers’ employment choice during the COVID-19 epidemic]

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  • Alex Jingwei He
  • Chunni Zhang
  • Jiwei Qian

Abstract

The existing literature suggests that external shocks, such as pandemics, stimulate people’s demand for social protections and prompt them to favor short-term social consumption over long-term investments. However, this argument may not apply fully in a society with an urban–rural divide in addition to an unequal welfare system. Through a telephone survey conducted in July 2020, this study sought to investigate public opinions on the social policy response to the coronavirus disease pandemic in China. Quantitative evidence showed large economic hardship among the respondents, who expressed a strong expectation for labor market interventions instead of social assistance. This study reveals that the preexisting inequalities in people’s access to welfare benefits have led local residents and migrants to develop differential preferences for social policies. This attitudinal heterogeneity is illustrative of the inequalities in the Chinese welfare system as well as of the labor market dynamics that have resulted from massive internal migration and the informalization of the workforce. The division between locals and migrants in China’s urban welfare system has shaped a demarcation of welfare preferences between the two groups through peculiar interpretive feedback effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Alex Jingwei He & Chunni Zhang & Jiwei Qian, 2022. "COVID-19 and social inequality in China: the local–migrant divide and the limits of social protections in a pandemic [Impact of risk perception on migrant workers’ employment choice during the COVI," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 41(2), pages 275-290.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:polsoc:v:41:y:2022:i:2:p:275-290.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/polsoc/puac003
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Peilin Li & Wei Li, 2007. "Economic Status and Social Attitudes of Migrant Workers in China," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 15(4), pages 1-16, July.
    4. Yujeong Yang, 2021. "The Politics of Inclusion and Exclusion: Chinese Dual-Pension Regimes in the Era of Labor Migration and Labor Informalization," Politics & Society, , vol. 49(2), pages 147-180, June.
    5. Qiu Cheng & Kinglun Ngok, 2020. "Welfare Attitudes Towards Anti-poverty Policies in China: Economical Individualism, Social Collectivism and Institutional Differences," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 150(2), pages 679-694, July.
    6. Haiyan An & Xiaoshu Sun, 2021. "Impact of risk perception on migrant workers’ employment choice during the COVID-19 epidemic," Chinese Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(6), pages 402-414, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Daniel Béland & Alex Jingwei He & M Ramesh, 2022. "COVID-19, crisis responses, and public policies: from the persistence of inequalities to the importance of policy design [The impact of COVID-19 on gender equality]," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 41(2), pages 187-198.

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