The Plight of Rural Migrant Workers in Urban China

Abstract

Manufacturing opportunities in urban China have led to the mass migration of over 270 million rural residents to urban areas. We investigate the resulting upheaval in Chinese society using a macromarketing framework, especially the effect on the family unit. A qualitative study of 34 adult migrants in Shanghai is used to put a human face on the challenges faced by those distant from their families of origin (and in many cases their own children) and yet ostracized by most of those in urban society.