The Pattern, Development, and Changes of Migrants` Identity: Evidence from China

Yue Yuan, Southwest University of Finance and Economics

In many developing countries, including China, large numbers of internal migrants are deemed to consider the integration of new identifications and further deal with deep intraindividual changes and conflicts. However, few studies have carefully examined the internal cognitive mechanisms of identity integration within migrants, and even barely researches focus on how to manage multiple identities within a cohesive self-concept. We construct a bidirectional and multidimensional framework to understand the patterns and developmental trajectory of changes in identities under intercultural contexts by these migrants. Using data from a Guangzhou survey of rural-urban migrants in 2015-2016 and latent class analysis, four categories are identified for the hybrid identity, together with five subtypes for self-identity and four subtypes for social identity. Further, based on in-depth interviews, we proposed several developmental trajectories between new identity and the old one, and also found that the main reason leading to the similarities and differences between migrants` hybrid identity and its two sub-dimensional identities is that migrants have different views on self-identity change and social identity change. These findings validate our theoretical framework for the pattern and development of migrants` identity.

Keywords: Internal Migration and Urbanization, Migrant Populations and Refugees, International Migration, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination

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