Gender and migration: Employment of rural migrants in South China's factories. Issue 3 (2nd July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Guo, Chunlan; Shen, Jianfa
• Is Part Of: Asian journal of women's studies. Volume 22:Issue 3(2016)
• Page Start: 228
• Page End: 248
• Publication Date: 2016-07-02
• Subjects: gender -- migration -- the segmented labor market -- the hukou system -- South China; 性別 -- 遷移 -- 分隔勞動市場 -- 戶口制度 -- 南中國; Feminism -- Asia -- Periodicals; Women -- Asia -- Periodicals; Feminism -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 305.4209505
• DOI: 10.1080/12259276.2016.1205375
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1225-9276

Abstract

Abstract : Drawing on rural migrants' experiences and narratives collected through in-depth fieldwork in the Pearl River Delta in 2008–2009, we discovered that rural women are more successful than men in securing factory employment. We looked at the ways in which the employment of rural migrants in South China's factories was an outcome of the interweaving of gender, migrant status, the segmented labor market, and the hukou (household registration) system. The factories have tended to recruit women as it is believed that femininity can contribute to increasing production efficiency, creating a "safe" space for production and minimizing labor costs. At the same time, masculinity is associated with "carelessness, " "laziness, " "naughtiness, " "conflict, " "violence, " and "trouble-makers." In addition, the identity of "migrant" has helped women break free from the traditional gender regime and strengthen their labor market participation.