The Politics of Migration: Urbanization and Life Opportunities in Contemporary China

Based on extensive fieldwork and longitudinal studies, this book posits that the household registration (hukou) system is a fundamental institutional arrangement in contemporary China. It employs the theoretical framework of local citizenship to analyze the rights and conditions of the migrant population amidst urbanization. Local citizenship functions as both a governance classification and a qualification for access to public resources, influencing not only migration patterns but also the social mobility of various migrant classes. Importantly, the widely discussed education policies for migrant children are part of a broader framework of national migrant management and local industrial policies.