Cumulative Causation of Rural Migration and Initial Peri-Urbanization in China

This article posits that rural migration feeds the high demand for cheap labor in peri-urbanization, which is driven by globalization, flows of foreign capital, and entrepreneurial local governments. While the gravity model and push/pull perspective ignore the dynamics of the migratory course, we use the cumulative causation of migration theory to conceptualize social expectations for out-migration and social resources from migrant networks in destinations. Four major findings are drawn from this demographic analysis based on microdata from China's 2000 Census. First, as suggested by the cumulative migration theory, greater previous out-migration significantly increases subsequent out-migration, a process that appears to be independent of push factors. Second, foreign direct investment (FDI) contributes to attracting rural labor migrants from other provinces to pen-urban areas as it does to cities. Third, social resources from migrant networks play an important role in attracting rural labor migrants to both city and noncity destinations. Fourth, the importance of wage differentials declines in gravitating rural labor migrants to pen-urban areas. These findings provide tentative evidence that rural labor migration is indispensable during initial pen-urbanization. Infused with flows of FDI and entrepreneurial local governments, rural migration has created a favorable initial condition for peri-urbanization.