Growth of rural migrant enclaves in Guangzhou, China: Agency, everyday practice and social mobility

Ye Liu, Zhigang Li, Yuqi Liu and Hongsheng Chen
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Ye Liu: Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy, University of Lethbridge, Canada
Zhigang Li: Sun Yat-sen University, China
Yuqi Liu: University College London, UK
Hongsheng Chen: Southeast University, China

Urban Studies, 2015, vol. 52, issue 16, 3086-3105

Abstract: Previous studies have attributed the proliferation of rural migrant enclaves in China’s large cities primarily to the constraints limiting migrants’ residential options. Through an ethnographic exploration of Xiaohubei , a migrant enclave with a high concentration of Hubei rural migrants and small-scale garment producers in Guangzhou, this paper sheds new light on the dynamics and implications of the migrant enclaves. It argues that rural migrants are actually active agents who develop a vibrant garment manufacturing cluster by establishing a flexible garment production system, embedding their business within the enclave and maintaining a nationwide translocal network. It also contends that the enclave provides a feasible path through which migrants can achieve social mobility and adapt themselves to the urban environment. This paper concludes with a plea to take into account the agency and everyday practice of rural migrants when understanding the migrant enclaves and a reflection on the existing large-scale and indiscriminate demolition of the enclaves.

Keywords: China; migrant enclaves; rural migrants; social adaption; social mobility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:52:y:2015:i:16:p:3086-3105

DOI: 10.1177/0042098014553752

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