Rural settlement of urban dwellers in China: community integration and spatial restructuring

Abstract With rapid urbanization in China, an increasing number of urban dwellers are migrating to rural areas, becoming “new villagers”. This phenomenon provides both opportunities and challenges for rural revitalization. This study aims to examine the community integration dilemmas of these new vi...

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Main Authors: Nana Zheng, Shengcong Wang, Hengyu Wang, Shuqi Ye
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer Nature 2024-01-01
Series:Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02680-8
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author Nana Zheng
Shengcong Wang
Hengyu Wang
Shuqi Ye
author_facet Nana Zheng
Shengcong Wang
Hengyu Wang
Shuqi Ye
author_sort Nana Zheng
collection DOAJ
description Abstract With rapid urbanization in China, an increasing number of urban dwellers are migrating to rural areas, becoming “new villagers”. This phenomenon provides both opportunities and challenges for rural revitalization. This study aims to examine the community integration dilemmas of these new villagers from the perspective of social space production theory. Through oral history investigations, in-depth interviews and participant observations, this qualitative study explores the integration predicaments of new villagers across four dimensions—living space, production space, cultural space, and social space. The findings indicate that the integration dilemmas arise from disparities between new villagers and native villagers in status, cultural identity, values, and customs. New villagers face risks of exclusion in obtaining living space, cultural conflicts in production activities, value clashes with traditional rural culture, and social closure from existing rural networks. To better integrate new villagers into local communities, fostering cultural communication, shaping common values, and restructuring rural space are essential, providing insights for rural talent retention policies. This research offers implications for rural talent revitalization mechanisms in the context of urban–rural migration in China.
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spelling doaj.art-69ab8a250b614cfab4fd86db50cb8ec12024-03-05T17:59:25ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922024-01-0111111210.1057/s41599-024-02680-8Rural settlement of urban dwellers in China: community integration and spatial restructuringNana Zheng0Shengcong Wang1Hengyu Wang2Shuqi Ye3School of Sociology and Population, Nanjing University of Posts and TelecommunicationsSchool of Government, Nanjing UniversitySchool of Sociology and Population, Nanjing University of Posts and TelecommunicationsSchool of Sociology and Population, Nanjing University of Posts and TelecommunicationsAbstract With rapid urbanization in China, an increasing number of urban dwellers are migrating to rural areas, becoming “new villagers”. This phenomenon provides both opportunities and challenges for rural revitalization. This study aims to examine the community integration dilemmas of these new villagers from the perspective of social space production theory. Through oral history investigations, in-depth interviews and participant observations, this qualitative study explores the integration predicaments of new villagers across four dimensions—living space, production space, cultural space, and social space. The findings indicate that the integration dilemmas arise from disparities between new villagers and native villagers in status, cultural identity, values, and customs. New villagers face risks of exclusion in obtaining living space, cultural conflicts in production activities, value clashes with traditional rural culture, and social closure from existing rural networks. To better integrate new villagers into local communities, fostering cultural communication, shaping common values, and restructuring rural space are essential, providing insights for rural talent retention policies. This research offers implications for rural talent revitalization mechanisms in the context of urban–rural migration in China.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02680-8
spellingShingle Nana Zheng
Shengcong Wang
Hengyu Wang
Shuqi Ye
Rural settlement of urban dwellers in China: community integration and spatial restructuring
Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
title Rural settlement of urban dwellers in China: community integration and spatial restructuring
title_full Rural settlement of urban dwellers in China: community integration and spatial restructuring
title_fullStr Rural settlement of urban dwellers in China: community integration and spatial restructuring
title_full_unstemmed Rural settlement of urban dwellers in China: community integration and spatial restructuring
title_short Rural settlement of urban dwellers in China: community integration and spatial restructuring
title_sort rural settlement of urban dwellers in china community integration and spatial restructuring
url https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02680-8
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AT shengcongwang ruralsettlementofurbandwellersinchinacommunityintegrationandspatialrestructuring
AT hengyuwang ruralsettlementofurbandwellersinchinacommunityintegrationandspatialrestructuring
AT shuqiye ruralsettlementofurbandwellersinchinacommunityintegrationandspatialrestructuring