Migration, Friendship Segregation and Psychological Well-being among Chinese Adolescents

• In Event: 20825 - Assessing the Causes and Consequences of Internal Migration

Abstract

China has witnessed an unprecedented growth of economically driven rural-to-urban migration during the past three decades. An increasing number of rural children migrated with their parents. Peer networks play a crucial role in adolescent development, and for migrant children, forming friendships with local peers is a key indicator of social integration. However, little is known about the extent of the segregation of local and non-local children in migrant children’s friendship networks or the implications of this segregation for their psychological well-being. Furthermore, existing theories offer conflicting predictions on how friendship segregation might influence migrant children’s well-being.
Using data from a nationally representative sample of junior high school students nested within their classes and schools, this study adapts a measure of racial segregation in friendship networks to assess the extent of segregation from local students in the peer networks of migrant adolescents in China. Our findings reveal substantial segregation between local and non-local students, with the disadvantage in forming friendships with local peers being more pronounced boys. Migrant boys were more likely to befriend other non-local students, whereas non-local girls were equally likely to make friends with local and non-local students, given the contextual distributions of local and non-local students. Additionally, segregation from local students in friendship networks was negatively associated with the psychological well-being of migrant boys.
This study is the first to systematically examine friendship segregation as a dimension of social integration of migrant children in China. The disadvantage in friendship segregation of migrant boys revealed in this study is consistent with previous research highlighting the social integration challenges faced by boys. This study contributes to a broader understanding of social integration and developmental outcomes among migrant children and identifies a vulnerable subgroup that may benefit from targeted policy interventions to enhance their social inclusion and well-being.

Authors

• Lei Jin, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Lin Tao, Peking University, China