Mass migration from rural to urban areas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mass migration from rural to urban areas - Essay Example In China, the particular phenomenon, has led to the transformation of the country’s existing social and economic characteristics. It should be noted that in China, mass migration is rather a recent activity; indeed, it was just after the 1970s that the initial trends for mass migration towards Chinese cities were identified (Zhou 2009). The changes on the common political and social structure are just part of this activity. As in all countries worldwide, in China mass migration has been a continuous expanding phenomenon, quite difficult to be controlled. In accordance with the literature published in the particular field, the positive effects of mass migration in China have been combined with certain drawbacks, a fact which is made clear in cities across the country. The environmental challenges of the specific activity, as explained below, lead to the assumption that mass migration in China should be closely monitored as threatening the country’s natural environment. T he introduction of appropriate measures could help to the transformation of mass migration in China to a proactive social and economic activity; the damages of this activity on the country’s environment could be also reduced, even in the long term. 2. Mass migration in China – benefits and drawbacks 2.1 Economic, social and political benefits of mass migration from rural to urban areas in China – comparison to the negative effects of this activity The development of Chinese urban areas has been highly supported by the rural population. In accordance with Zweig (1997) because of the needs of rural construction thousands of male farmers have been relocated to cities; their income has been increased and their lifestyle has been changed (Zweig 1997, p.20). Through this process, the structure of workforce in the country’s rural areas has been changed – the percentage of women in the labour workforce of these areas has been increased, a fact that led to the transformation of social life in these regions. The development of mass migration in China resulted to the following economic and social benefits: a) the urban areas of the country were highly developed, b) the economic performance of the country was improved; the services sector – mainly developed in ur ban areas – was improved, along with the manufacturing sector, supporting the country’s growth, c) the living conditions of people were improved – especially in terms of medical support, education and leisure (Ping 2004). However, gradually, mass migration in China has led to the change of employment prospects in the country’s cities. In the past, the level of unemployment in Chinese cities was relatively low – due to the lack of sufficient workforce; however, today, the prospects for work in large Chinese cities have been reduced. This phenomenon is described in the study of Yeh et al. (2011) where reference is made to the increase of street vending in Chinese cities, as a result of the increase of unemployment. It is explained that the labour surplus in Chinese cities has led to the development of the particular mode of work, at such level that today street vending has become ‘the occupation of the 4% of the entire employed populationâ€⠄¢ (Yeh et al. 2011, p.30). The above phenomenon reflects the economic turbulences related to mass migration in China; it also shows the potential effects of mass migration on society. Because of mass migration, a significant part of the population has been led to choose modes of work that offer a low quality of life, such

The Image of Chinese and Japan Dragons Term Paper

The Image of Chinese and Japan Dragons - Term Paper Example The extent of the power of this mysterious creature was such that it was considered as the god of rain, thunder, rainbow, and stars. China being an agro-based society, entirely dependent upon the environment and climate for communal wellbeing, it was the dragon that was worshipped so that sufficient food would be provided. For thousands of years, this custom sustained. The dragon was worshipped and more and more deification was bestowed upon it from being the bringer of joy to bringing prophecies and miracles. The dragon was made into an exclusive symbol of imperial majesty by the emperors. They also compared themselves with the dragons. There was a robust punishment for those who used the dragon as a symbol intentionally or unintentionally. This meant that the ruler was being offended hence the punishment for the offender was death (Dragon). A series of changes have transformed the image of a dragon and it is now more mighty and beautiful. Initially, its illustration on primitive br onze ware was portrayed as ferocious and mysterious. However, during the Han Dynasty, it became magnificent and unrestrained. Moreover, the image of the dragon was personalized as gentle, tame and graceful during the reign of Tang. Nevertheless, it was after the Song Dynasty onwards that it was portrayed as more flowery and delicate. These dragons are found in various different colors. They range from yellow to black, blue, white or red. The most revered was the yellow one because of which each emperor wore a gown that was decorated with a yellow patterned dragon. The basics behind these dragons remain the same despite the differences. This is because people are familiar with the combination of the features of animals. The protruding head of a dragon signifies wisdom, however, longevity is shown by the antlers. According to the imperial examination, the ox’s ears denote success. The tiger’s eyes indicate power, bravery is conveyed by the eagle’s claws, flexibili ty is implied by the fish’ tail and diligence is shown by the horse’s teeth.