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China's Left-Behind Children

Caretaking, Parenting, and Struggles

by Xiaojin Chen

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$37.95 S

Hardback

$150.00 SS

eBook (ePub)

$37.95 S

eBook (PDF)

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Price:: $37.95
ISBN:: 9781978837140
Published:: Apr 12, 2024

Release Date:: 12th April 2024
Publisher:: Rutgers University Press
Imprint:: Rutgers University Press
Series:: Rutgers Series in Childhood Studies
Pages:: 224
Illustrations:: 9 color graphs, 20 tables

Description
Praise
Contents
Authors

One unintended consequence of the unprecedented rural-to-urban migration in China over the past three decades is the exponentially increased number of "left-behind" children—children whose parents migrated to more developed areas and who live with one parent or other extended family members. The daily lives of these children, including their caretaking arrangements, parent-child bonding and communication, and schooling, are fraught with distractions and uncertainties. Paying special attention to this marginalized group, this book investigates the role of parental migration and the left-behind status in shaping Chinese family dynamics and children’s general wellbeing, including their school performance, delinquency, resilience, feelings of ambiguous loss, and other psychological problems. Blending theory, empirical research, and real-world interviews with left-behind children, China's Left-Behind Children provides a uniquely close look at these children's lives while also providing the larger national context that defines and shapes their everyday lives.

"Chen deftly presents the social and cultural correlates of left-behind children's development and puts forward several new perspectives in understanding this issue. . . . Chen's multi-year fieldwork is a timely dedication to understanding left-behind children in China today. Undoubtedly, Chen's book contributes to the existing literature on alternative parenting and left-behind children's development. This book is a valuable reference for researchers and policymakers alike. It is also an important reading material for parents, teachers, and social workers who hope to understand and help this vulnerable population."
- Asian Journal of Criminology

"Written with scientific rigor and personal relevance, this insightful book provides us a systematic view of the lives and living spaces of China’s left-behind children and their families. It diversifies and advances our understanding of family structure and parental care beyond the 'norms' of two-parent nuclear families. I recommend this book to all family scientists, practitioners, and policymakers."
- Tong Liu, co-director of Yale-China Program on Child Development at Yale University

"Based on original survey data and interviews with rural migrant families, China’s Left-Behind Children provides new insights into the drivers and effects of different childcare arrangements and of long-distance parenting practices on children’s education, behaviour, emotional wellbeing, and ambiguous loss. This superb book appeals not only to scholars in China studies but also to sociologists of childhood, family, migration, and education who will appreciate the fresh take on topics such as digital communications, intimacy, grandparenting, school bonding, delinquency, and gender, and the author’s keen eye to global comparisons."

- Rachel Murphy, author of The Children of China’s Great Migration

List of Illustrations
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Who Leaves and Who Stays? Factors Associated with Parental Migration and Caretaking Arrangements
Chapter 3: Caretaking At-Home: Grandparenting and One-Parent Caretaking
Chapter 4: Parenting from Afar: Long-Distance Parenting and Short Visits
Chapter 5: “Have You Finished Your Homework?” Parental Migration, Caretaking Practices, and Children’s Schooling
Chapter 6: Are Left-Behind Children More Deviance- and Delinquency-Prone?
Chapter 7: Children’s Psychological Wellbeing: Caretaking Practices, Long-Distance Parenting, and Ambiguous Loss
Chapter 8: Conclusion
Acknowledgments
References
Index

XIAOJIN CHEN is an associate professor of sociology at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Related topics: Social Science / Children's Studies