Citizenship, Gender and Work. Processes of exclusion and inclusion among married female migrants in Shanghai

Abstract

China has during the last couple of decades developed from a socialist to a more market oriented society. The country has experienced economic growth on a large scale, and is predicted to be the world's largest economy in a few years. China has managed to complete this economic turnover with the help of supportive labour conditions. The country's migrant population is huge, and provides the country with cheap labour force. However, the migration population is only accepted in Chinese cities for their economic contribution, and are socially unwelcome. Furthermore, China's hukou policies contribute towards the marginalisation of rural migrants in urban areas, not allowing them to participate in the urban citizenry on a par with urbanites. As a result, migrants face detrimental situations in their destination areas, and studies have shown that female migrants' position in cities is further exacerbated by both social norms and market forces. With the help of citizenship as an analytical framework, I therefore examine the processes of exclusion and inclusion among female married migrants in Shanghai. By exploring the relationship between married female migrants' reproductive and productive roles, this thesis aims to contribute towards understanding the determinants of exclusion and inclusion in the citizenry in urban China.