Abstract: Migration has been consistently interpreted and analysed as part of research on urbanization. It has been argued that the flows of population on an ‘irrational’ scale could cause serious ecological and social problems. These phenomena are termed ‘urban and rural diseases’. China is facing the serious consequences of urbanization, in particular those arising from the flows of population. Moreover, other factors such as the household registration system and the land system have intensified the consequences of urbanization. This article reviews theoretical perspectives on urbanization by Fei Xiaotong and Ebenezer Howard, and highlights the distinction between their standpoints and strategies. It concludes with some shared perspectives on urbanization taken from different contexts of China’s and Britain’s industrialization, respectively.
Keywords: population flow, urbanization, Fei Xiaotong, Ebenezer Howard
Zhiming Wu 吴志明 is PhD Researcher, Department of Sociology, University of British Columbia, Canada. He worked as Research Assistant at the Department of Sociology, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA. He has studied at the Department of Sociology, Renmin University of China with a Fei Xiaotong Scholarship for Out- standing Students. He was Editor and Journalist on China Social Science Today, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), China, and was a Research Assistant for the China in Comparative Perspective Network at LSE. His research interests are urban sociology and political culture. He has published many journal articles, mainly in Chinese.
Ye Liu 刘烨 is a Lecturer in International Education and Development at Bath Spa University, UK. She also taught at the University College Cork, Ireland, and was a research associate for the China in Comparative Perspective Network, London School of Economics (LSE). Her research interests primarily focused on the role of education in shaping a transitional society with regard to social inequality, life chances, social mobility and social harmony. She has conducted survey studies, extensive interviews and in-depth observations in China.
Cite this article
Zhiming Wu and Ye Liu
The road to the cities: Interpreting some theoretical perspectives on migration and urbanization from Fei Xiaotong and Ebenezer Howard
Journal of China in Comparative Perspective
Vol.1 Issue 2. 2015, p68-78
DOI: http://doi.org/10.24103/JCCP.2015.2.6
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