Child Poverty and its Regional Disparity in Rural China in the Context of Globalisation from 2010 to 2018

  • Lijianan Zhang

Student thesis: Doctoral ThesisDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Abstract

China has increasingly integrated into the global community over the decades following its Open-Door policy. This remarkable economic advancement, coupled with continuous efforts in poverty alleviation, has successfully extricated a vast swathe of the population from poverty. During this process of becoming involved in the global market, society and politics, great changes in living standards in rural areas are taking place. However, globalisation is double-edged sword, bringing both economic growth but also inequality. Children, without choice, enjoy the benefits and endure its disadvantages. Under such great socioeconomic changes, brought about by globalisation, it is important to pay attention to children’s living standards in rural areas. This study examines the impact of globalisation on child poverty and its regional disparities in rural China, from 2010 to 2018, utilising longitudinal data from the China Family Panel Studies. It constructs a Multiple Deprivation Index and the KOF Globalisation Index to analyse the complex relationship between these concepts. A Generalised Linear Mixed Model is used for conducting the study, to explore the globalisation impact from both demographic and geographic aspects.
Overall, globalisation appears to have a positive effect on reducing child poverty, yet it also exacerbates the disparity between coastal and inland regions. Specifically, reduced economic globalisation over the years seems not to affect the reduction of child poverty in rural China, while social globalisation has a substantial impact on its reduction. Additionally, despite significant achievements in reducing multidimensional child poverty across rural China, the existence of such poverty highlights the need for a comprehensive strategy. Vulnerable groups, such as female children, left-behind children, children from ethnic minorities and those from low-income households, require additional attention and targeted support from society and governments in the context of globalisation.
Date of Award18 Jun 2024
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • University of Bristol
SupervisorSusan E Harkness (Supervisor) & David Gordon (Supervisor)

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