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Gender and network effects on occupation: a case study of China

Ka Yi Fung (Felizberta Lo Padilla Tong School of Social Sciences, Caritas Institute of Higher Education, Hong Kong)

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy

ISSN: 0144-333X

Article publication date: 10 January 2020

Issue publication date: 9 April 2020

242

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to ask whether or not social networks can compensate for the disadvantages of being part of an unprivileged group in the job attainment process in urban China, using the 2008 China General Social Survey.

Design/methodology/approach

The author compares the network effects on monthly income of local urban residents and rural migrants.

Findings

First, the results show that social capital exerts no significant effect on monthly income for local residents and rural migrants. Second, having network members who work in state-owned and non-state-owned enterprises helps female rural migrants to obtain higher monthly incomes, compared to those whose network members work only in either state-owned enterprises or non-state-owned enterprises. The same is not true of male rural migrants or local residents.

Originality/value

It can be concluded that a more diversified network may compensate for female rural migrants’ disadvantages, caused by being part of an unprivileged group, in their occupational attainment process.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The author received no financial support for the research, authorship and publication of this paper.

Citation

Fung, K.Y. (2020), "Gender and network effects on occupation: a case study of China", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 40 No. 3/4, pp. 267-281. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-09-2019-0190

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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