A Tale of Two Cities: A Comparative Study of the Attitudes of Chinese University Students Towards China’s Rural-to-Urban Migrant Workers

Abstract

In the past few decades, China’s rural-to-urban migrant workers have been subjected to institutional as well as interpersonal discrimination. This has resulted in mental health problems and decreased quality of life for a large segment of the Chinese population. The present study explores the attitudes of two groups of Chinese university students towards China’s migrant workers. Questionnaires measuring support for migrant integration in cities, stereotyping of migrant workers, and perceived attitude change towards migrants among students since arrival at university were distributed to participants at Beijing Normal University (N = 128) and Normal College of Jishou University (N = 135). Students at each of these institutions represented urban and rural perspectives, respectively. The results show significant differences in attitudes towards migrant workers between participants at the two institutions; overall, students from NCJU were more in favour of migrant worker integration, had greater positive attitudes of migrant workers, and reported greater (positive) attitude change towards migrant workers since arrival at university. Understanding how different groups of educated youth in China view rural-to-urban migrants might shed light on how to improve the lives of this enormous underclass, and advance efforts to remedy an important social issue affecting all Chinese people.