China Case Study Flashcards
What is internal migration?
Internal migration describes the movement of people from rural areas to a city within the same country
What is quality of life?
Quality of life refers to the happiness, well being and satisfaction of a person
What is a high standard of living?
Standard of living in measured in terms of a person’s possessions
Even though an abundance of possessions indicate a high standard of living they don’t guarantee a high quality of life.
What is the Hukou System?
In China you are either a resident of an urban are or a rural area
Rural workers have to apply for a permit (residency permit system) to move to urban areas and are prohibited from taking their kids to the cities with them.
These kids are called the Left Behind/Damaged Generation because they suffer from many mental health issues
This was put in place authorities feared a massive movement of people into cities causing overpopulation and a strain on government services.
It is further enforced by it being expensive for public services if you weren’t born in the city whereas it’s free in the area you are born
Today the system is half enforced due to the increased need for skilled workers in industry
What are the social impacts of urbanisation in China?
Low paid and dangerous jobs
Working long hours
Living in poor or cramped housing
What are the economic impacts of urbanisation in China?
Decreased people living in poverty in 1981, 85% was in poverty and in 2005, 16% was in poverty.
Increase in population means more houses and more profit
Increase of exportation and importation of goods
What are the environmental impacts of urbanisation in China?
Factories/Cars release pollution into the air making a;; the cities moderately or severely polluted and causing an estimated 300,000 deaths
Soil fertility is declining
300 million don’t have access to clean water and 80% of China’s rivers are too polluted to fish from, this is because untreated industrial and domestic wastewater flows into China’s rivers
What are the causes of urbanisation in China?
The government intensified its efforts to convert the country into an industrial power by encouraging internal migration from rural towns to cities by promising better lives in the city.
