Conceptions of adulthood among migrant women workers in China

The experiences of emerging adulthood may vary in different historical and cultural contexts. Little research has been dedicated to how non college students view adulthood in developing countries. Currently, millions of young people are migrating from rural villages to industrial cities in China. The purpose of this study was to investigate conceptions of adulthood among Chinese migrant women workers, using mixed methods. One hundred and nineteen women workers (aged 18-29 years) from a factory in Guangdong, China, completed a questionnaire of markers for adulthood. Then, 15 of them were interviewed regarding their understanding of the transition to adulthood. The results showed that the majority of the young Chinese migrant women workers believed they had reached adulthood in some ways but not others. Married women and women with children were more likely to perceive themselves as adults, even controlling for age. Learn to care for parents, settled into a long-term career and become capable of caring for children were ranked as the most important markers for adulthood. Participants were least likely to feel adult when they were with their parents. The migrant women workers' conceptions of adulthood reflected the traditional Chinese emphasis on family obligations, social relations and role transitions.