Mass migration from rural to urban areas - Essay Example

?Mass migration, from rural to urban areas has led to large changes in many aspects of life in China. Construct an essay, which considers the possible economic, social and political benefits that result from this migration and the possible environmental challenges 1. Introduction Mass migration is a social phenomenon related to the radical changes on a country’s economic and social life – as a result of rapid technological and economic growth but also because of the influence of similar social trends worldwide. In China, the particular phenomenon, has led to the transformation of the country’s existing social and economic characteristics. It should be noted that in China, mass migration is rather a recent activity; indeed, it was just after the 1970s that the initial trends for mass migration towards Chinese cities were identified (Zhou 2009). The changes on the common political and social structure are just part of this activity. As in all countries worldwide, in China mass migration has been a continuous expanding phenomenon, quite difficult to be controlled. In accordance with the literature published in the particular field, the positive effects of mass migration in China have been combined with certain drawbacks, a fact which is made clear in cities across the country. The environmental challenges of the specific activity, as explained below, lead to the assumption that mass migration in China should be closely monitored as threatening the country’s natural environment. The introduction of appropriate measures could help to the transformation of mass migration in China to a proactive social and economic activity; the damages of this activity on the country’s environment could be also reduced, even in the long term. 2. Mass migration in China – benefits and drawbacks 2.1 Economic, social and political benefits of mass migration from rural to urban areas in China – comparison to the negative effects of this activity The development of Chinese urban areas has been highly supported by the rural population. In accordance with Zweig (1997) because of the needs of rural construction thousands of male farmers have been relocated to cities; their income has been increased and their lifestyle has been changed (Zweig 1997, p.20). Through this process, the structure of workforce in the country’s rural areas has been changed – the percentage of women in the labour workforce of these areas has been increased, a fact that led to the transformation of social life in these regions. The development of mass migration in China resulted to the following economic and social benefits: a) the urban areas of the country were highly developed, b) the economic performance of the country was improved; the services sector – mainly developed in urban areas – was improved, along with the manufacturing sector, supporting the country’s growth, c) the living conditions of people were improved – especially in terms of medical support, education and leisure (Ping 2004). However, gradually, mass migration in China has led to the change of employment prospects in the country’s cities. In the past, the level of unemployment in Chinese cities was relatively low – due to the lack of sufficient workforce; however, today, the prospects for work in large Chinese cities have been reduced. This phenomenon is described in the study of Yeh et al. (2011) where reference is made to the increase of street vending in Chinese cities, as a result of the increase of unemployment. It is explained that the labour surplus in Chinese cities has led to the development of the particular mode of work, at such level that today street vending has become ‘the occupation of the 4% of the entire employed population’ (Yeh et al. 2011, p.30). The above phenomenon reflects the economic turbulences related to mass migration in China; it also shows the potential effects of mass migration on society. Because of mass migration, a significant part of the population has been led to choose modes of work that offer a low quality of life, such as street vending. On the other hand, not all people in Chinese cities have equal access to well paid job positions. Also, the gains from the improvement of industrial activity in Chinese urban areas are not equal for the people of the country – a social phenomenon common to all countries worldwide. From this point of view, in China, the potential benefits of mass migration – as explained above – seem to be outweighed by a series of negative effects, such as the deterioration of the quality of life and the expansion of inequalities (social and economic) among the population. In accordance with Yeh et al. (2011), in China, mass migration has led to a series of social and economic drawbacks, such as: a) the expansion of corruption; as economic activities in Chinese urban areas are increased so do the phenomena of corruption. The close monitoring of these activities by the local authorities is not as effective as expected – as proved through the high levels of corruption in Chinese cities, b) citizens in Chinese urban areas are often forced to relocate – under the pressure for the industrial and economic development of the particular regions; however, most commonly, the compensation given to the citizens for this activity is low, a fact that enhances social inequality, c) in the same context, the ‘citizenship rights’ of residents of Chinese cities are often reduced – under the need for controlling the economic and social life of areas that are highly industrialized (Ma 2007, in Yeh et al. 2011, p.30), d) the limitation of the property of peasants is another aspect of China’s rapid industrialization; indeed, because of the radical increase of population in urban regions, solutions are often necessary for ensuring the housing needs of migrants in these areas. The property of peasants is used for expanding the borders of Chinese cities so that the housing needs of migrants to be covered. Despite the negative aspects of mass migration in China, the specific activity in the country continues at the same rate. Even if the levels of unemployment in the country’s cities are high, migration towards these regions is still kept at high levels (Weber 2004, p.52). This trend is possibly related to the fact that the movement from rural to urban areas is generally considered as decisive for the increase of personal income, a fact which is, however, not verified not just in China but also in other countries that face similar phenomena (Huang et al. 2009). 2.2 Environmental benefits and harms from mass migration in China Because of mass migration, a series of important interventions have been made in Chinese cities – reference is made to the schemes related to the protection of the environment by promoting sustainability. This means that people across China – especially in the country’s urban areas have become aware of the environment and its needs. However, at the same time, mass migration led to the increase of pollution in cities; reference is made not just to the industrial activities but also to the activities of people, at the level that urban areas in China have not been appropriately prepared for facing the radical increase of waste (Murphy 2002). The measures taken for the control of this problem have been proved to be rather inadequate showing the need for further support of sustainability in China’s urban areas, an activity which should be among the priorities of the country’s government (Lawrence 2009). At the same time, the mass migration in China revealed another weakness of the local authorities: no effective plan for water supply in China’s urban areas has been, yet, developed. This problem is reflected in the shortage of water as a common phenomenon in Chinese cities. The failures in the management of water and waste in Chinese urban areas can be characterized as the key environmental challenges related to mass migration in the specific country. 3. Conclusion In accordance with the issues discussed above, mass migration in China is related to various social, economic and environmental challenges. However, the specific activity could also help to improve the country’s image in the international community. Indeed, highly developed urban areas reflect the potentials of a state to support the improvement of life of local population. The above view reflects the Western style of life, which requires the existence of large cities – where technology and economy are the key features of people’s daily life. In all countries worldwide, the development of urban areas is regarded as a reflection of a country’s prospects to achieve a high rate of growth – economic, social and technological. At the same time, it reflects the potential of the country to control the effects of its industrial activities on the environment. From this point of view, mass migration in China should not be necessarily considered as a negative phenomenon. It could be rather used for highlighting the high response of the country to the global economic and technological advances; it can be also used for showing the potentials of the country to further improve its position in the international community – in terms of its achievements regarding its social, economic and natural environment. Within the country, mass migration shows the inability of local authorities to prioritise the needs of people in the country’s urban and rural areas. It also shows the inability of local authorities to understand the hierarchy of needs across the country; social and economic benefits would be pursued only at the level that the country’s natural environment is not severely harmed. Otherwise, alternative methods of social and economic growth should be identified and promoted. References Huang, Y., Magnoli, A. (2009) Reshaping economic geography in East Asia. World Bank Publications Lawrence, R. (2009) How China's leaders think: the inside story of China's reform and what this means for the future. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons Ping, Y. (2004) Urban poverty, housing and social change in China. London: Routledge Yeh, A., Xu, Jl, Liu, K. (2011) China's Post-reform Urbanization: Retrospect, Policies and Trends. London: International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) Weber, M. (2004) Welfare, environment, and changing US-Chinese relations: 21st century challenges in China. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Zhou, K. (2009) China's long march to freedom: grassroots modernization. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers Zweig, D. (1997) Freeing China's farmers: rural restructuring in the reform era. M.E. Sharpe Read More