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Rural Migrant Women’s Informal Learning of Life Skills in Social Networks in Urban China

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  • Shujuan Luo
  • Vilma Seeberg

Abstract

Life skill programs have been widely provided for vulnerable women in Third World Countries but not for the deprived rural migrant women in China. This study explored the way these women informally learned life skills in urban China and their primary sources of learning, in hopes of providing insights into possible life skill programs targeting them. A basic interpretive qualitative research was conducted by interviewing seventeen migrant women in Northwest and Central China. Findings show that these women learned certain core life skills informally as they adjusted to the urban life. They regarded rural migrant social networks as the main source of learning. Yet, their aspirations to acquire better communication and occupational skills remained mostly unfulfilled and a few of them demanded extra emotional support. This study strongly suggests life skill programs provided for rural migrant women in China to enhance their capability for self-protection, empowerment and social integration.

Suggested Citation

  • Shujuan Luo & Vilma Seeberg, 2022. "Rural Migrant Women’s Informal Learning of Life Skills in Social Networks in Urban China," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:12:y:2022:i:1:p:21582440221079820
    DOI: 10.1177/21582440221079820
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Démurger, Sylvie & Xu, Hui, 2011. "Return Migrants: The Rise of New Entrepreneurs in Rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 1847-1861.
    2. Céline Bonnefond & Fatma Mabrouk, 2019. "Subjective well-being in China: direct and indirect effects of rural-to-urban migrant status," Review of Social Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 77(4), pages 442-468, October.
    3. Ling Zhang & Junfeng Jiang & Peigang Wang, 2021. "Social cohesion associated with health mediated by emotional experience and life satisfaction: Evidence from the internal migrants in China," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(3), pages 1285-1303, June.
    4. Chen, Juan, 2011. "Internal migration and health: Re-examining the healthy migrant phenomenon in China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(8), pages 1294-1301, April.
    5. Vilma Seeberg & Shujuan Luo, 2018. "Migrating to the City in North West China: Young Rural Women’s Empowerment," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(3), pages 289-307, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ai-xiang Zheng, 2024. "Does learning ambidexterity affect the sense of urban integration among new-generation migrant workers in China? An empirical study based on career growth and environmental dynamism," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.

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