Author(s)

Li Yulei ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ School of International Affairs and Public Administration, Ocean University of China, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China

Corresponding Author

Li Yulei

ABSTRACT

Life course theory focuses on the close and subtle connection between individual life and social change, and the emergence and evolution of this theoretical system provides a unique perspective for analysing the formation of individual life trajectories. In the context of the urban-rural dichotomy, why do senior rural migrant workers make the choice of employment from "keeping house" to "venturing out", and what is the generative logic behind it? What is the policy direction for senior migrant workers travelling between urban and rural areas? All these questions need to be further explored. Starting from the life course theory, this paper explains the motivation of senior migrant workers' decision-making to work in urban areas based on five basic paradigms: the principle of lifelong development, the principle of mobility, the principle of spatial and temporal space, the principle of timing, and the principle of life relevance. It is found that the factors contributing to the employment choices of senior migrant workers are the shaping of a specific historical time and space, the connection with important family members, the opening of a window of opportunity to work, and the driving force of individual initiative and the goal of lifelong development. These factors interact with each other to shape the employment choices and life course of senior migrant workers. To improve the quality of life of senior migrant workers, it is necessary to work together at the policy formulation and implementation levels to improve the protection and management systems for this group, create an equal and harmonious social environment, and also to stimulate and utilise their subjective strengths to help them realise their self-growth and actively integrate into the urban society.

KEYWORDS

Life course theory, senior migrant workers, life trajectory, urban integration

CITE THIS PAPER

Li Yulei, A Study of Employment Options and Survival Strategies of Senior Migrant Workers from a Life Course Perspective. Social Security and Administration Management (2024) Vol. 5: 116-125. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/socsam.2024.050216.

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