National Care Chain: How is rural-urban migration shaping the provision of care for older people in China?

Referring to the international research on Global Care Chain, this talk proposes a new approach of the national care chain in the Chinese context, where care provision for older people is widely shaped by its rural-urban migration. This research is based on secondary administrative data, qualitative observational data and semi-structured interviews with care managers and migrant care workers in Shanghai. It investigates the experiences of migrant care workers who are key actors in the care chain and the impacts of rural-urban migration on care provision for older people in both input and output areas. This exploratory research contributes to theoretical discussions on the national care chain in China and further links to the global migration and care chain.