Outsiders to urban-centric growth: the dual social exclusion of migrant tenant farmers in China

Abstract

Urban-centric growth resulting from urban expansion and land redevelopment may result in rural–urban conflicts. Over time, in China, the affected social groups, such as urban residents in the poorer neighbourhoods, peri-urban farmers and urban population living in the peri-urban areas have found their voices in the academic literature, and some have even developed ways to negotiate compensation for the lost properties and livelihoods. This paper analyses the impact of urban-centric growth on the livelihoods of a much less studied group: tenant farmers. Using the cases of Beishan and Nanshan Villages of Guangzhou, with first-hand data collected in 2008, 2009 and 2017, this research found that tenant farmers had to face ‘dual social exclusion’. They were excluded by the urban authorities and the urban society, and by the rural authorities and rural communities. The dual social exclusion was imposed on tenant farmers through cultural and institutional settings that were systematically against ‘outsiders’. Incentivised by the institutional settings, local farmers were not just victims of predatory urbanisation; they could also be oppressors of tenant farmers. However, as important food suppliers to cities, the tenant farmers exercised agency to overcome the difficulties, which sowed the seeds of urban food insecurity.

Keywords:

• Tenant farmers
• migration
• dual social exclusion
• urban-centric growth
• China

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their detailed and constructive suggestions on the drafts of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The Household Responsibility System was introduced as a rural property rights system in which farmland, though remaining under collective ownership, was contracted to individual households, initially for a five-year period that was later extended to 15 years (1984) and 30 years (1993) (Development Research Centre of the State Council of PRC 2014).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yingyan Xu

Yingyan Xu is Associate Professor and Director of Educational Centre for Master Degrees in School of Public Administration, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, China. She has published several papers on various issues, such as non-profit organizations, social work, migrant tenant farmers and social development most recently. Her current projects include social organizations, contracting out of social services, and social evaluation.

Bingqin Li

Bingqin Li is Professor and Director of Chinese Social Policy at the Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW Australia. Her research is on social policy and governance. Her current projects include governance of age-friendly communities, local government motivation in delivering complex social programmes, social inclusion and integration, urban governance and social spending.

Xiaoxing Huang

Xiaoxing Huang is Associate Professor in Department of Sociology and Social work in School of Sociology & Anthropology, Sun Yat-sen University, China. He has published extensively on several topics, such as community studies, urban sociology, governance and non-profit organizations. Recently, he focuses on the research of new urbanization and rights bargain in China, and does field work in urban villages and state’s own farm in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.