Liu Qichao and Wang Yahua: The influence of rice culture on the settlement of migrant workers -- based on the perspective of social network.

Liu Qichao and Wang Yahua

china Rural Research Institute, Tsinghua University; School of Public Administration, Tsinghua University

abstract

based on the data of the floating population in China's rural cities, this paper uses the Probit model and the IV-Probit model to empirically test the influence of rice culture on the settlement of migrant workers. The study found that rice culture will significantly increase the probability of migrant workers living in the same village after entering the city. The results of the moderating effect analysis show that the above effects will be enhanced because migrant workers do not sign labor contracts and do not enjoy social security in the city, that is, they will be enhanced because of the increased risks faced by migrant workers. The mechanism analysis shows that the rice culture makes migrant workers pay more attention to the strong relationship network, which causes them to tend to live in the same hometown after entering the city. Specifically, the rice culture will make the social interaction objects of migrant workers after entering the city are mostly members of the strong relationship network, which will lead to their preference to live in the same hometown after entering the city. Based on this, in the process of promoting the new urbanization, we should promote the reconstruction of migrant workers' social network to reduce their dependence on the strong relationship network, promote the equalization of urban basic public services and strengthen the protection of migrant workers' labor rights and interests to improve the ability of migrant workers to cope with risks.

Keywords

peasant workers; fellow-townsman; rice theory; rice culture; social network

provenance: China's Rural Economy, No. 8, 2024, pp. 107-124.