Hukou, migrant workers and the use of informal change processes in the People's Republic of China

The Household Registration System (Hukou), a mechanism of social and economic control, has been an institution in the lives of Chinese citizens since the 1950s. Recent economic reforms have resulted in the largest population movement in Chinese history, as unregistered, migrant workers move from rural to urban areas, in search of employment. Without Hukou status, access to basic services like education, social programs and healthcare are difficult for migrant workers and their families to obtain.;The study was based on K. Tsai's (2006) theoretical perspective of Adaptive Informal Institutional Framework (AIIF), which proposes that change is possible through informal exchanges between local government officials and ordinary citizens. AIIF suggests that there is a "corrosive" effect on institutions when citizens bypass established rules by forming relationships with intermediary power brokers.;Through documentary review and interviews, this study did identify a relationship between migrant workers' use of informal relationships and changes to Hukou, but also found other contributory factors such as the impact of marketization on Hukou's changing role. Therefore, AIIF may be considered to have had a contributory influence to explaining the gradual changes that have occurred to Hukou since its inception in 1958.;This thesis examines the manner in which migrant workers use informal relationships with local intermediary power brokers (e.g., police and officials) to circumvent Hukou regulations and access basic programs and services. The writer hypothesized that, gradually, these informal arrangements have impacted Hukou to such an extent that it has become ineffectual.