The Hukou Divide - A Passé Construct?

Abstract

Previous research on the hukou divide has primarily focused on the tangible inequalities between urban and rural residents. In this paper, the reigning perception of the hukou divide is discussed from a social citizenship perspective, by relating recent social policy developments in China to the works of amongst others T.H. Marshall and W. van Oorschot. By examining the current state of the Chinese hukou system through multiple data sources and exploring recent policy developments, this paper shows that the hukou divide, despite having become irrelevant in some respects, continues to be an important determinant of social citizenship. The hukou system has created widespread institutional diversity of social security and sustained the stratification of social citizenship. Through the persistent depiction of rural people as lesser citizens, the hukou system consolidates rural people’s self-image as a distinct undeserving group.