The impacts of city-specific factors on social integration of Chinese migrant workers: A study using multilevel modeling

摘要

Rural migrants in China often face obstacles that prevent them from integrating economically and socially into their host cities. We explore the effects of host city-specific factors on the social integration of migrant workers in this article. To do this, we use a survey data set that includes a sample of migrants in nine cities in eastern and central China. We estimate a multilevel linear model (MLM), taking into account both individual and city characteristics; in the first place, we show that female, highly educated migrants who accompany their family members to new host cities are most easily integrated into local society. Regarding city-specific factors, individuals who move into urban areas within their own provinces where the dialect is similar and there is a relatively small existing rural migrant population tend to more easily integrate. We show that the economic conditions of a host city can exert both positive and negative effects on social integration.