Life Course Under The Perspective Of Peasant Workers' Social Integration Research

Social inclusion of migrant workers is a question that resulted from the emerging process ofurbanization and increasing amount of migrant workers. Peasants who leave from their hometownand work in the big cities faced many adaptation troubles as wells as inclusion problems. On theone hand, it is due to the institutional barriers triggered from the social structure; on the other hand,the lack of capacity limits their inclusion level. In order to fully understand migrant workers’ life inthe urban cities, it is necessary for us to analyze based on their position and angle. Whether or noteach migrant worker has the desire to stay in urban cities? Are there any factors that influence theirdecisions? How can the society provide services and helps to them? Thus, this paper mainlydiscusses these questions based on the life-course theory. The theory concentrates on the life courseof groups and individuals and the sequence of major life events. Based on the theory, it is mucheasier to find out the differences of varied age groups on social inclusion.In the study, the author interviewed twenty five migrant workers and examined their lifecourses. Based on the age difference, the interviewees were divided into three groups. The studyfirstly concluded the major life course of migrant workers, and then discussed how different lifeevents influenced their final decision of staying at or leaving from the big cities. Along with thegrowth of age, life course stepped into the mature stage, and it influences workers to think theirliving in urban cities more practical. They faced many living pressure as well as the institutionalbarriers. Moreover, for different age groups, their growth backgrounds are different from each other,therefore, the new age migrant workers have higher expectation to the city life than the oldgenerations with discrepancy on life background, living needs, life style and perceptions.Nevertheless, when the new age migrant workers grow into the middle age level, they have toface many new life tasks, and maybe their desire to stay in the city will be decreased. Migrantworkers have different levels of life needs, from the basic needs to the needs of individualdevelopment. Whether they can fulfill these needs have a vital role in their inclusion process.Therefore, the social work practice can make supports to this group of people and to help thembetter fit in to the urban cities.