Rural Labour Mobility in Times of Structural Transformation : Dynamics and Perspectives From Asian Economies

This book examines essential issues and perspectives on rural labour, helping readers understand the changes that are currently taking place in the labour markets, especially with regard to migrants from rural to urban areas, their socio-economic conditions, factors contributing to such mobility and associated problems. Further, it addresses the question of why the socio-economic conditions of rural labour have not experienced measurable improvements. Presenting a collection of painstakingly researched essays that focus on both India and China, the book addresses these challenges with an explicit focus on safeguarding the interests of rural labour under the neoliberal dispensation. The research is based on primary survey data and analytical issues from selected Asian economies, especially from India. On the basis of the findings discussed, it subsequently suggests ways forward so as to improve the wellbeing of migrant households and put an end to distress migration. Lastly, the book convincingly argues that improving labour market outcomes, and more specifically, generating employment and providing alternative livelihood avenues, represents the most pressing challenge in rural areas.-- Provided by publisher Front Matter ....Pages i-xxi Introduction: Rural Labor Dynamics and Mobility in Times of Deepening Structural Transformation (D. Narasimha Reddy, Kailash Sarap)....Pages 1-12 Front Matter ....Pages 13-13 Structural Transformation and Alternative Pathways to the Lewis Turning Point (Rizwanul Islam)....Pages 15-34 Labor and Employment in the Emerging Rural-Urban Continuum in India: Toward a Cohesive Policy (D. Narasimha Reddy)....Pages 35-64 Chinese Land Institutions: Peasant Workers, Industrialization, and Urbanization (Jinqing Cao, Yuqin Huang, Ming Gao)....Pages 65-87 “Politics of Scale”: The Shift from Small Migrant Farmers to Big Organizational Agriculture in Shanghai’s Suburbs (Ye Min)....Pages 89-102 Craft Clusters and Work in Rural India: An Exploration (Keshab Das)....Pages 103-125 Casualization and Shift of Rural Workers to Non-farm Activities (Partha Saha, Sher Verick)....Pages 127-150 Expanding Livelihood Strategies for Marginalized Communities in India: Opportunities and Challenges (Partha Pratim Sahu)....Pages 151-180 Front Matter ....Pages 181-181 The Changing Nature of Rurality: Reframing the Discourse on Migration and Commuting (S. Chandrasekhar, Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay)....Pages 183-207 Out-migration from the Hill Region of Uttarakhand: Magnitude, Challenges, and Policy Options (Rajendra P. Mamgain, D. Narasimha Reddy)....Pages 209-235 Migration and Household Labor Use for Adopting Climatic Stress: A Study of Drought-Affected Areas in Odisha (Basanta K. Sahu)....Pages 237-268 Migration and Development: Rural-to-Urban Temporary Migration to Gujarat (Indira Hirway, Udai Bhan Singh)....Pages 269-297 The Life and Times of Migrant Workers in Chennai (J. Jeyaranjan)....Pages 299-326 The Uncivil and De-institutionalizing Labor Relations of Accumulation Through Disuse: The Case of the Brick Kiln Industry in Telangana (Tathagata Sengupta, G. Vijay)....Pages 327-345 Back Matter ....Pages 347-356