Intergenerational Reproduction Migration: the Case of China

Abstract

Professor Xiang Biao, Professor of Social Anthropology, Oxford University, MPI for Social Anthropology, Max Planck Institute - International reproduction migration means that people move for the purpose of maintaining and improving their social status and life quality, instead of earning higher incomes. Examples of reproduction migration include birth tourism, retirement migration, migration for education and care, and investor migration (many investor migrants purchase properties and settle families in the destinations but rarely make productive investments). Reproduction migration from China has increased much faster than labor or settlement migrations since the 1990s. Those who have benefited from China’s development the most leave the rising center of the world economy. They do so to internationalize their reproduction arrangements, and to pursue capital conversation (e.g. from money to status) at the cost of capital accumulation. The image for this event is a promotional still from the Chinese sit-com, 'Over the Sea, I Come to You,' or 带着爸爸去留学. The show deals with many trends including reproduction migration.