Enhancing Social Support for Migrant Families: A Case Study of Community Services in a Shanghai Urban Village and Implications for Intervention

Recent years have witnessed the growing emphasis of the Chinese central government to develop community services as a method of building communities and strengthening social solidarity. With the increased involvement of multi‐generation households in China's internal rural‐to‐urban migration, however, little is known about what community services are available for migrant families. Nor do we know much about how such services can enhance social support for migrants, which is crucial for their psychological well‐being in managing the ongoing challenges that arise from migration and further integration into cities. This article presents a case study conducted in Shanghai where social services are emerging in a few urban villages. We begin with a brief background on China's rural‐to‐urban migration and the emergence of urban villages, followed by a discussion of community services and social support for Chinese migrant families. We then document existing services in an urban village to explore how they can influence migrant families' social support. Drawing on the perspective of service providers, we highlight the effects social work interventions can have on improving social support for migrant families. Finally, we propose an intervention framework based on multi‐dimensions of social support, emphasizing an integration of formal and informal social support through community services for migrant populations.     

Social Support for Mothers of Children With Disabilities in China

ABSTRACT.

This article analyzes the gendered parenting experiences of mothers of children with disabilities in China. These mothers struggle to meet their children's needs, including daily care, financial security, and child development. In the context of China's social welfare development, are social services responding to their needs, so that mothers can share responsibility for the needs of their children with disabilities? The research analyzed qualitative data about 6 case-study children in rural and urban China. The data were derived from observation and interviews with their parents and other family and community members. The analysis revealed that the capacity of the mother, community, and local social services had an impact on the rights of the children and mothers. They experienced social discrimination, insufficient social support, and local failure to implement central policy social services and income support. These findings are consistent with international research about disability rights. They reinforce the importance of economic redistribution to enable local implementation of the national disability rights policies, rather than merely relying on ephemeral concepts of cultural change. Further research about the comparative impact of economic and social change in China on mothers and children with disabilities would extend these findings.     

农村进城务工女性的社会支持研究——以北京地区家政服务员社会网络构建为例

在改革开放的大潮中,农村进城务工的女性越来越多,但城乡"二元结构"带给她们的种种现实问题仍然难以解决。因此,她们需要依靠自身力量和乡土关系重新构建城市社会网络,以获得必要的社会支持。本文在关注家政服务员乡土社会网络与城市社会网络的同时,着重对其社会网络特征进行解析。     

Life Satisfaction of Rural Migrant Workers in Urban China: The Roles of Community Service Participation and Identity Integration

Abstract

China is home to approximately 245 million rural-to-urban migrant workers. The influx of migrants into urban areas has posed various challenges for local social service systems. Recently, increasing number of community services have been developed to meet the growing service demands from the migrant population. However, whether increase in community service use results in improved wellbeing among migrant workers remains critically unexplored. As such, this study examines the role of community service use in migrant workers’ life satisfaction and the potential mediating effect of identity integration in Shenzhen, China. Bootstrapped models were adopted to examine relationship among variables. Drawing from a sample of 1,087 rural-to-urban migrant workers, we found that community service use is positively correlated with both identity integration and migrant workers’ life satisfaction. Moreover, identity integration served as a partial mediator between community service use and life satisfaction. The mediating effect of identity integration was found to increase with age. This study highlights that diverse services should be implemented to address divergent needs of migrants in different age groups. Community service can also serve as a vehicle to foster integration among migrant workers in host communities, especially for older age groups. Future studies may further investigate the relationships between community social capital, community social support, quality of community-based organization and frequency of service use so as to optimize the life satisfaction of migrant workers.     

Investing in Community Participation to Receive Social Support

ABSTRACT

According to the investment theory of social capital, the investment of valuable resources in social activity leads to the reception of social support. This theory is applied in examining the contribution of community participation to expected social capital. A survey of 1,523 mothers in low-income neighborhoods of Hong Kong, China, suggests that community participation was not generally conducive to expected social support. However, community participation tended to contribute to expected social support when coupled with family resources such as the employment and income of the mother and her partner.     

Changes in characteristics of ego-centred networks of female immigrants married to Korean men

This study explores the relationships between social support and social networks of female immigrants married to South Korean men, using two-year data on migrant wives from the Gyeonggi Welfare Panel and an ego-centred network approach. The results suggest that a larger network with less cohesive ties provides more diverse social support for migrant wives. Migrant wives gradually reduce dependence on their family-in-laws and play roles of support givers for those with the same nationality by sharing their experiences in South Korea. The ego-centred network analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of the social networks of married migrant women in South Korea.     

相对收入与主观幸福感:检验农民工的多重参照群体

尽管社会经济地位低于城市居民，农民工的主观幸福感却更高。这种客观经济地位与主观福利评判的不一致有两种解释：同质性参照群体假设和向上流动期望假设，暗示农民工在进行社会比较时会选择不同的参照群体。基于一项大规模全国代表性的调查数据，本文通过建构农民工的多个参照群体检验了上述假设，结果验证了同质性参照群体假设：控制个人收入后，同省其他农民的平均收入越高，农民工的生活满意度越低；加入农民的平均收入后，农民工相对于城市就业居民的生活满意度优势消失，甚至转为劣势。向上流动期望假设未获支持：城市就业居民的平均收入对农民工的生活满意度没有显著影响，而且这样的“零效应”可能并非由于向上流动期望的压抑影响造成的。     

Social Support Interventions in Migrant Populations

The phenomenon of immigration has led to an important increasein the number of social programmes and services for migrantpopulations in many European countries. However, some investigationshave shown that the use of formal resources is extremely lowin these groups. In contrast to the limited utilization of programmesand services, research in the field of social psychology hasrevealed that the primary source of help and support for immigrantsis their own informal social network. After analysing the characteristics,advantages and limitations of formal and informal support systems,this paper presents a typology of social support interventionswith migrant populations that integrates both types of support.Four levels are differentiated: dyadic interventions, socialnetwork interventions, mutual aid groups and community interventions.The development of programmes to strengthen the informal supportsystem is emphasized as an alternative to integrating formaland informal resources in social work practice with migrantpopulations.     

Academic performance and peer relations among rural‐to‐urban migrant children in Beijing: Do social identity and self‐efficacy matter?

Due to the household registration system, millions of rural‐to‐urban migrant children in China are ineligible to receive urban social welfare benefits. These children potentially suffer from the evolving awareness of their perceived inferior social identity and experiences of inequalities at an early stage of life. This study examined whether self‐perceived social identity is related to academic performance and peer relations among rural‐to‐urban migrant children in Beijing. Data were collected from 136 children during 2013 and 2014 in three schools for migrant children in Beijing. Path analysis showed that children who identified as a Beijinger, compared with those who self‐identified with their rural hometown, had better self‐efficacy, which in turn was associated with better academic performance and better peer relations. Enlightened by Western theories, these findings suggest that migrant children’s performance in school could be enhanced by cultivating positive perceptions of their social identity through teachers’ practice and community‐ and policy‐level social support.     

农民工社会认同的决定因素研究：基于上海的实证分析

本文首次从国际移民的涵化理论视角对农民工的社会认同方式及决定因素进行探讨,通过对上海市农民工抽样调查数据的实证分析发现,农民工作为国家内部城乡移民的重要组成部分,其社会认同存在以户籍为基础的制度性约束和以资源匮乏为特征的能动性限制。农民工社会认同主要受文化态度、社会交往、经济成功和社会环境四类变量的影响,农民工的个体人口统计特征也会影响城市认同的意愿。当地语言的熟练程度、与当地人交朋友的意愿（而非与外省市的农民工交朋友）、类似群体的收入地位水平、感知到的社会歧视程度和参与保险的程度都成为重要的决定因素。因此,公共政策的制定与执行应该要有助于农民工的心理层面的社会认同的转变,尤其是从“外地人”向“本地人”的认知转型。     

Social support available for substance‐dependent mothers from families with parental substance abuse

Substance‐dependent mothers, who have grown up with parental substance abuse, struggle during and after treatment to abstain from substances while trying to process traumatic experiences and integrate their family into society. The aim of this study was to explore the social support available for these mothers to help them stay abstinent and create safe family environments for themselves and their children. Using purposeful sampling, we approached nine mothers admitted for 1 year to a family ward at a substance abuse clinic and their significant others. Through in‐depth, qualitative interviews, first with the mothers, later with their significant others, we investigated characteristics of the available social support. The findings indicated that the significant others had limited resources and were themselves exposed to adverse and cumulative psychosocial and socioeconomic risk factors. Their relationships with the mothers were, nevertheless, close, consistent and reliable. Supporting the existing social network should be an integrated part of the work of family welfare services aiming to help substance‐dependent mothers from families with parental substance abuse to rehabilitate and to integrate successfully into local communities.     

An evaluation of a groupwork intervention for teenage mothers and their families

This paper describes the implementation of a specific, community‐based, multi‐family group (MFG) intervention strategy (Families and Schools Together [FAST] babies) aimed at improving the outcomes for infants of teenage mothers in 11 Canadian communities. The aims of this social work group intervention were (1) to engage the teenage mothers into a socially inclusive experience that might challenge the social disapproval they often experience, (2) to enhance the mother–infant bond, while increasing feelings of parental efficacy, and (3) to enhance the social context of the teenage mother by reducing stress, social isolation and intergenerational family conflict. Groups were co‐led by teams of service users (a young mother, a grandmother of the baby of a teenage mother and a father of the baby of a teenage mother) collaborating with multi‐agency professionals (health visitors and social workers). Teams that reflected the ethnic diversity of the participating family members were trained to facilitate eight weekly group meetings. They showed respect for the young women's ‘voice’, and supported her ‘choice’ to prioritize motherhood as her defining identity. The meetings comprised a range of activities, including crafts and singing, discussion of ‘conflict scenarios’ in cross‐familial, cross‐generational groups, infant massage delivered to babies by the young mothers, grandmother support groups, and a shared community meal. Where necessary, teams made referrals for specialist help. One hundred twenty‐eight young mothers came once to 17 groups, and 90% graduated having attended a minimum of six sessions. Evaluation data from mothers and grandmothers showed positive change when comparing pre and post, based on standardized questionnaires. One‐tailed, paired t‐tests showed statistically significant increases in parental self‐efficacy for the teenage mothers, improved parent–child bonds, reductions in stress and family conflict, and increases in social support. Given that rates of teenage pregnancy in the UK are among the highest in Europe, this paper concludes with a discussion of the feasibility and possible merits of introducing FAST babies to England.     

Social capital predictors of children's school status in Mexico

This study explores whether family and community social capital variables influence children's school status in Mexico. Additional predictors related to human and financial capital were included as control variables. Two hundred and four mothers were interviewed as part of a larger study on the impact of social capital on children's street work in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. Logistic regression results suggest that family and community protective factors associated with children's academic achievement include parental help with homework, mothers' academic aspirations, extended family support and mothers' social support networks. The author reports on family- and community-based predictors of children's school status and discusses the social work profession's role in strengthening families and communities to enhance children's academic achievement.     

流动儿童的资本禀赋与社会融合研究——基于双向测度数据的多视角分析

利用2013年深圳流动儿童调查数据,从学校性质和生命历程视角分析了流动儿童在资本禀赋与社会融合上的差异性,检验了二者的相关性.结果发现:流动儿童的资本禀赋已出现群体分化,公办学校流动儿童在家庭物质资本和人力资本上占优,但民办学校流动儿童在家庭社会资本和学校社会资本上占优,小学段流动儿童的资本禀赋优于初中段.流动儿童的社会融合状况并不乐观,其城市文化融合水平低下,农村文化纽带坚韧;城市人和本地人身份认同度较低,农村人和外地人身份认同度较高,认同模糊问题突出;与流动儿童的社会距离较小,与本地儿童的社会距离更小.总的来说,流动儿童的资本禀赋与社会融合存在复杂的正向相关,拥有资本禀赋越多,社会融合状况越好.     

农民工小团体现象的探测与分析：基于社会支持网络的研究

本文利用2005年对深圳市农民工的调查数据,应用N G算法,探测到农民工社会支持网络中的小团体现象,并通过对其数目、规模及内聚程度的分析,探讨了亲缘、地缘关系在小团体现象中的角色问题。本研究发现,农民工社会支持网络具有明显的小团体现象,不同性别和不同职业构成的农民工社会支持网的团体化程度存在差异,实际支持网、情感支持网和社交支持网等三类网络的团体化程度也存在差异。混合性别网络的小团体的内聚程度低于单一性别网络的小团体的内聚程度,加工业农民工小团体的内聚力差异程度较大,而建筑业农民工小团体的内聚程度则普遍较高。加工业农民工的业缘关系是小团体形成的重要纽带,建筑业农民工的小团体以地缘关系为主,但业缘关系的作用开始凸显。     

What do we know about the social networks of single parents who do not use supportive services?

The role that social support and social networks play in mediating isolation and stress experienced by vulnerable families is well established. However, a major issue facing supportive human services is to find and engage families with limited social networks and link them to supports that could improve outcomes for their families. This paper reports on the results of in‐depth interviews with 20 sole parents with children aged under 5 who were not well connected to services. It documents their social networks with the use of a social network map. Using a social capital lens, the analysis attempts to differentiate the different relationships in the participants' lives. Most participants were not satisfied with their informal networks, with conflicted or ambivalent reliance on family, absence of support and community engagement and fragility of informal networks. Although this group of isolated mothers does encounter the formal service system, the opportunities to increase and strengthen their networks do not eventuate. Better understanding of the nature and extent of social networks can inform practitioners and policy‐makers of the critical factors needed to increase service use for parents with limited resources.     

SPECIAL ISSUE： MIGRANT WORKERS IN THE COURSE OF URBANIZATOIN The social distance between urban residents and migrant workers： an institutional analysis

数据分析显示,市民最喜欢的职业主要是市民就业比较集中的行业,如成为行政机关干部、教师和科研人员;市民最不喜欢的职业主要是农民工就业比较集中的行业,如建筑业、饭店服务业等。市民与农民工社会距离的类型以中、远距离为主。在社会距离的评价上存在一定程度的非对称性。社会地位差异、文化差异、空间隔离和非正式制度对社会距离有很大影响。市民与农民工的社会距离有不断缩小的趋势,两大群体之间已经出现了一定程度的社会融合。     

方言距离与城市流动人口犯罪的同群效应——基于广州、深圳、东莞三市的实证分析

在快速城市化过程中,由人口流动带来的区域文化碰撞在推动经济增长的同时,也深刻影响着社会融合。基于中国裁判文书网、《汉语方言大词典》、2017年全国流动人口动态监测调查的数据,本文以广州、深圳、东莞三大人口超千万的人口净流入城市为例进行实证分析,以方言距离为文化差异的代理变量,研究其如何影响城市流动人口的同乡团伙犯罪行为。研究表明,方言距离与流动人口同乡团伙犯罪显著正相关,同群效应是文化差异增加流动人口同乡团伙犯罪率的主要途径之一。本文从方言距离视角解读城市化过程中文化隔阂对城市社会和谐稳定的影响,丰富了文化影响移民犯罪及治理的理论探索,对推进以人为本的新型城镇化具有一定借鉴意义。     

影响农民工精神健康的社会因素

本项研究运用定量数据从个体的社会经济地位、迁移压力和社会资本三个角度,分析了影响农民工精神健康的社会因素。研究发现：（1）相对社会经济地位对农民工的精神健康产生的影响远大于绝对社会经济地位的影响;（2）农民工群体的迁移过程面临的压力,例如被排斥、不公平待遇等会对他们的精神健康产生较大的消极影响;（3）相较于其他群体,社会资本和精神健康的关系在农民工群体中的表现更为复杂。有的社会资本对精神健康有积极的影响,例如信任和网络密度;而有的社会资本则对精神健康产生消极影响。     

Family and community support among older Chilean adults: the importance of heterogeneous social support sources for quality of life

Family and community social networks act as social resources that promote well-being at advanced ages. In this study, we analyze the association between social support received from personal social networks (social support from various family members and friends) and community social networks (social support from neighbors and the neighborhood, age, ethnic, or religious group peers and formal social support networks) and quality of life (QoL) for a sample of older Chilean persons (n = 777). The results confirm that social support from family (partner, children, and extended family) and friends, integration in the community (neighbors) and social support from informal systems (social groups) are associated with QoL. Moreover, the model including both types of support explains 25.8% of variance in QoL. The results and their possible implications are discussed.