Found in rural China: An Investigation of the elderly left behind
December 31, 2010
found in rural China: An Investigation of the elderly left behind
(Chinese People’s University of Agriculture and Rural Development)
total number of migrants has more than one million, accounting for the total rural labor force 1/4, forming a world-renowned “Flood.” Current media public opinion, government officials and scholars concerned about the marginalization of migrant workers and living conditions difficult, but for more rural migrant workers stranded in the family was concerned enough. With large numbers of workers to go out, especially of the young/out of labor, the families of migrant workers left behind in life, emotional and cultural and recreational living, has created a significant impact. We Anhui Zongyang, Tong Cheng, etc. were investigated in 318 elderly people, old people are generally satisfied with life now, because the elderly are now accustomed to the life and hard life compared to the past. However, the old people’s economic status and health status is still not optimistic, migrant children can not overestimate the ability of financial support, the status of the elderly should be looked down upon the phenomenon of attention. [Pagesplitxx]
one, stay elderly Toys Wholesale conditions
(a) of the work can not be overestimated their children’s financial support, stay for the elderly is still poor economic conditions, and labor intensity increases
children of migrant workers poses
rural family economic conditions improve, but the children of migrant workers to rely on the support of parents, the parents can not provide adequate financial support. Since low levels of absolute income in rural areas and farmers has long been a lower savings rate, estimated in the survey of rural elderly people without pension savings account for more than 70%, so that most elderly people still rely on their own labor to maintain normal living. General elderly and son spending time living with the burden of the main burden of the sons, but their children go out after only a few elderly people have the authority presided over the family finances, most elderly people need to separate financial management. Electricity per/10-20 yuan, 1.1 yuan per kilogram meters, telephone rental costs 15 yuan, 15 yuan Chai every worry, a 3 per briquettes, water … …, by local standards a need for 700-1000 dollars a year old to basic maintenance, and the elderly can not get sick. Children of migrant workers, the annual transfer payments to the elderly on average, lower than the above figures, so Eye Hospital we should not overestimate their children’s financial support to work . Because lower income, older people’s lives are constraints, we often hear in the survey the following description old people:
“his son to build a ten thousand dollars a year, will give back a good point when two packs of cigarettes.”
“I am lighting only 2-3 dollars a month, up to 3 million, the phone, I do not fight.”
“son of 200 yuan each year, the younger son to the 350 pounds of rice, is not worth the money.”
“afraid of strong winds heavy rain, the house using a large tile, heavy rain will be missed.”
“color TV and power, a necessary money to open, I do not watch TV.”
Although a number of rural households generally son, but not high income per son, barely a living, out of one hundred yuan a year, but they can not maintain life, especially life can not support themselves. We note that the housing conditions of elderly people is usually worse than their children’s housing conditions, children work outside the home did not stay very significant improvement in material living standards of the elderly, but often indirectly increased the labor intensity of the elderly. Old people said the survey young people over the last collective work, the elderly cook at home, and now the elderly Treatment of cancer to do farm work. Spread among the local saying that: “White hair, Shimoda farm; black hair, playing mahjong; blond, Avenue shopping.” As the annual Robbery and Snatching (rush in the harvest plant crops) is only 3% of migrant workers will be back, in his seventies still work in the fields of a few elderly people, and please (or tractor) to plow another 80 yuan per mu from last year rose to 100 this year, which will again reduce the income of old people. In addition, the rate of women going out to work to increase participation, and to town with his parents in the education of rural children in the city is estimated at only 5% of old people increased again to take care of household responsibilities grandchildren. [Pagesplitxx]
(b) of the migrant children, the elderly, significantly enhance the medical capacity to pay, but left behind the elderly’s health status is still not optimistic, in part a lack of life care for elderly sick
the people to old age, general poor health, prevalence of chronic diseases. Migrant children, the elderly medicine enhanced capacity to pay, afford most of the medical expenses of the elderly, the most obvious manifestation is usually elderly often to the village doctor to see a doctor, without on-site pay, medical expenses back by the end of the year when children go a checkout, but will also advise the parents of the sick do not go to the hospital doctors. However, because income is not high, or there is “life is not the onset, Nabu Qi drug” phenomenon, a few sick without health situation, spending habits and the ability to take into account the real economy, “small disease resistant, to suffer serious illness “is still the choice of the majority of the elderly. An old man was admitted to the hospital in 2002 because of myocardial infarction, 3 ceiling of 1,200 yuan, too expensive, and later to never go to hospital. Another old man complained of dizziness a second injection would more than 400 registered, 4 bottles of water and spent hanging the 500 block. According to our preliminary investigation, medical expenses are a significant majority of elderly households spending, subject the sick, they do seek medical treatment for their children’s ability to pay should also play the question mark.
now convenient communication and convenient transportation, the elderly when they fall ill, the children will be able to get the message immediately, the survey said the majority of elderly people notice their children if they would back side, otherwise people can then have the ability to look down on you, public opinion around will cause a lot of pressure. However, there are elderly people in the survey reflects the first time the children will come back when they are sick, but when the second time the elderly sick, and then came back to inform their children difficult, even back to live at home, sit on a two days. Some elderly are most concern is the fear that no one asked when he was sick, old people issued a “not for longevity, but for health”, “I die, to find someone to bury all easy to find” such a pessimistic feeling.
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(c) The majority of elderly people stay emotionally stable
old children of migrant workers in general people are supportive, saying if you do not go out at home is difficult to seek way out. Convenient communication now, almost every family has a TV, go out to the children often call back, but the topic is also left behind more children at home. Of course, there are some in the survey expressed the loneliness of the elderly. Since his wife after the death of an elderly person, a person at night would be very much alone, next door to a house in the city, son, when his son to stay when in town, near a house was the only myself, very afraid of the elderly, the TV open to the maximum sound. Another root of those surveyed said that mother and child, or to his son called out sick for her at home crying. The Flood caused by the emotional issues of family generations, it seems there is no good solution.
(d) recreational activities, while the elderly stay too monotonous, but this is not a major problem
In addition to watching TV, chatting, the old man there is no other entertainment solution. Investigation in the village are not old or older association activities room. TV sets can only receive the province, and some elderly people do not even watch TV even for power. When asked about the old people in the leisure needs of this area if there is anything, the old man said nothing to expect, it seems that old people need in this area does not seem great. But an old man said, “One day, now is the day children, old people are looked down upon,” worth thinking about.
(e) the legitimate rights and interests of older people are violated, it should be taken seriously
survey disputes caused by the maintenance is not much, but there are some, mainly the following points:
(1) children should not have the economic strength of the how, the elderly can not afford the maintenance money, although some outside work, but can not get money, a few thousand dollars income of trouble, along with their own The cost of the family itself is also large.
(2) When there are several children, the elderly, due to various economic imbalances of power, easily lead to the Competition alimony to the elderly, a better son to the first year of income, while the other sons do not give, then to imbalance in the second year, to not give out.
(3) two generations of poor people, especially law relationship. There are more than 70 years of age for the elderly in rural areas the ability to work, farming than their twenties and thirties were still in line, some are not sensible wife said you were good, she does not give you the money.
In the surv
