5.2 Case Studies - Shenzhen + St Ives Flashcards
1
Q
Growth of pop in shenzhen
A
- shenzhen - migrant workers have increased its population from a few thousand in 1978 to 12 million in 2010
2
Q
Hukou system before reforms
A
- used to control population movement by assigning every Chinese citizen a card showing whether they had the right to reside + work
- for men + unmarried women this was usually their place of birth
- married women had theirs registered where their husband had their hukou
- the system originally forced those with an agricultural hukou to remain in villages + work on the land, receiving grain as a form of income
3
Q
Hukou system after reforms/present
A
- market reforms in 1980 = food became more widely available + demand for urban labour grew
- restrictions were relaxed -> led to large scale rural-urban migration
- rural people still have to apply + pay for a temporary residence permit at their destination
- the system allows authorities to control the flow of migrants, but also give rise to a larger urban labour force needed for industrialised expansion
4
Q
Push factors (from Xinjiang)
A
- rugged + mountainous
- desert landscapes
- extreme temperatures
- limited water resources
- remote + isolated areas
- border issues
5
Q
Landscapes as a push factor?
A
Rugged + mountainous terrain
- Tian Shan + Kunlun mountains run through the region - affecting accessibility, transportation + land use
- mountains also influence local climate patterns
Desert landscapes
- significant proportion of Xinjiang consists of arid + semi-arid deserts - e.g. Taklamakan Desert
- desertification negatively impacts soil erosion + agricultural productivity
remote + isolated
- makes transpiration + communication difficult - hindering economic development, access to services + emergency response capabilities
6
Q
Extreme temperatures as a push factor
A
- dramatic temperature variations influence agricultural practices, water availability + human settlement patterns
- summer temps soars in Xinjiang (exceeding 40°C) - especially in lower elevations + deserts -> creating hot + dry condition unsuitable for agriculture
- winter temps can plunge to below -4°C or lower - especially in high elevations -> affecting daily life, agriculture + infrastructure
- limited water resource - reliant on glacial melts for water supply, changes in climate = glacial retreat = reduced water supply
7
Q
Border issues as a push factor
A
- Xinjiang shares borders with several countries - e.g. Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, India
- geopolitical dynamics can influence local communities + contribute to complex region relationships
8
Q
Pull factors (to Shenzhen)
A
- higher pay
- large trading markets
- China’s first economic zone
- infrastructure development
- higher education institutes
- Lax hukou policy
9
Q
Salary difference
A
average salary in Shenzhen ¥183,205 (£994) in comparison to ¥94,281 (£512) in Xinjiang
10
Q
Economic pull factors
A
- ‘silicon valley’ of China - attracts ICT graduates with large MNCs located here e.g. Huawei, creating employment opportunities
- average salary in Shenzhen ¥183,205 (£994) in comparison to ¥94,281 (£512) in Xinjiang
- china’s first economic zone in 1980 -> tax exemptions, land subsidies + more control in operating private businesses = creating several businesses + entrepreneurs becoming billion dollar rich
- GDP increased from 580 billion Yuan in 2006 -> 2.8 trillion yuan in 2020
11
Q
Infrastructure as a pull factor
A
- city has invested heavily in infrastructure = modern transport networks, high speed railway connections + well-developed urban environment
- enhances the overall quality of life for residents + contributes to cities appeal
- luxury real estate market - prices increases growing by 18.9% from 2020 to 2021
12
Q
Education as a pull factor
A
- home to several universities + research institution -> contributing to the city’s reputation as an education hub
- e.g. the southern university of science + technology
13
Q
Social impacts on source (Xinjiang)
A
- changed population structure -> many young dependents (5-19 year olds) + elderly - causing an indent in pyramid where people aged 20-29 (economically active) migrated to cities
- many children left behind by migrant parents - 2010 = 30% 61 million ‘left behind children’ are in Xinjiang
- 320,000 children are currently being raised by grandparents or family friends who often devote less love than parents would -> some do not even attend school or hold household registration
14
Q
Economic impacts on source
A
- ‘reverse brain drain’ - the talented would bring back their knowledge + enhanced human capital from shenzhen, putting it to work in the origin
- in some areas, large numbers of women now perform agricultural tasks that were once reserved for men - however this ‘new’ work is usually in addition to existing heavy household load
- remittances - can be used to increase standards of living in Xinjiang + to help improve their farming methods, such as buying more seeds + fertilisers
- although the flow of money is not always one way - village-town remittances to support education or search for job
15
Q
Social Impacts on destination (Shenzhen)
A
- population structure -> the economically active (25-39 year olds) migrated in search of work + less young dependents/ elderly
- the state needed to construct massive numbers of affordable housing for the next 20 to 30 years - they weren’t able to build fast or cheap enough to meet the demand of migration
- high income inequality - gini coefficient = 0.447 - higher than chinas capital Beijing
