Rural-urban migration is an important aspect in the development of countries. Until the late 1980s China was one of the few countries that controlled population movement both directly and indirectly through policies of economic and social control. The gradual relaxation of these policies has resulted in greater freedom of movement for the population, the effects of which are discussed in this significant volume.The book concentrates on the migration of minorities from a social, economic and ethnic perspective and attempts to quantify the overall level of movement. In particular, the authors examine the relationships between education, ethnicity and migration and identify the policies and conditions conducive to achieving positive outcomes for minority migrant households. The book aims to increase our understanding of the effects of movement, on the social, economic and ethnic status of migrant families. Taking existing census data as a starting point, the book makes a new contribution by drawing on a unique survey in four different regions, the data from which is used as the basis for detailed case study analysis.

The study of internal migration is vital, the authors argue, in order to understand the change process from a centrally planned economic system to a market orientated society in China. The internal mobility of minorities can be regarded equally, as both a product of, and a contributing factor to, this social transformation.

This notable and very readable book will be of significant interest to policymakers, international and development economists and researchers and students of Asian economics and demographics.