Migration decision-making : a case study of rural-urban labour migration in Shanxi Province, China

Rural to urban migration In China from early 1980s has been an important phenomenon influencing China's society, economy and politics. Large scale migration has attracted attention from both scholars and policy makers and has given rise to much debate on questions such as who migrates, why and how do they migrate and what influence will migration have. My study examines labour migration decision-making in Shanxi, a relatively poor province in north China. On the basis of qualitative interviews conducted in villages in Xinzhou, this empirical study explores how individuals make their decisions to migrate from rural to urban areas in relation to three main sets of factors: 1) the costs and benefits of migration 2) the attitudes and norms relevant to migration in rural society and 3) some institutions relevant to migration such as the labour market, social networks and the household. This study reaches the conclusion that rural people make rational migration decisions based not only on their perceptions of the costs and benefits of migration but also influenced by attitudes, norms and institutions. This study not only contributes to knowledge about migration in Shanxi where little study has previously been done but also adds to our understanding of the nature of migration decision-making.