Hukou status and social exclusion of rural-urban migrants in transitional China

The hukou system has long been regarded as the root cause of social exclusion of rural-urban migrants in China, so the abolition of this system is considered the best way to bridge the rural-urban division. This article empirically analyses the extent of social exclusion of rural-urban migrants in a transitional period from three dimensions: geographical, opportunity and psychological. It argues that the hukou status is playing a declining role in the social exclusion of rural-urban migrants, and the market competition appears to play a more important role in social exclusion. This article suggests taking a 'beyond hukou' perspective to re-examine the social exclusion of rural-urban migrants in urban China.