This study examined the relations between parental migration and the adjustment of left-behind children and the mediating role of parental support in rural China. Data were collected for 4,429 students (2,229 boys, M age = 12 years) in public schools from peer evaluations, teacher ratings, self-reports, and school records. The analyses revealed different patterns of relations of mother migration and father migration to children’s adjustment. Whereas mother migration was negatively associated with children’s social competence and academic achievement and positively associated with children’s psychological problems, father migration was positively associated with children’s positive adjustment, mainly through the mediation of maternal support. The results concerning the different implications of father migration and mother migration for children’s adjustment and the critical role of maternal support represent a significant contribution to the understanding of human development in the contemporary rural Chinese context. The results are also useful for policy-makers and professionals to develop programs and strategies to help rural left-behind children in China.

Perhaps the most significant cultural difference regarding successful aging is that in western countries it is associated with self-sufficiency, while the Chinese focus is on the availability of support from their children. This study uses five waves from the CLHLS to examine the impact of having children on successful aging. Random-intercept Poisson regressions show that having more living children is positively related to successful aging. Co-residence with children does not contribute to better successful aging; but having children living nearby has a positive effect. Therefore, findings from this oldest-old study show that support from children is important in an individual’s aging process. Policies should be adjusted to prepare for the future decrease in support from children.

This research contributes to previous studies through exploring the association between individual psychological aspirations and hukou discrimination in the Chinese urban labour market. Applying data from the 2010 China General Social Survey, we divided the sample into local hukou residents and non-local migrants (includes urban-urban migrants and rural-urban migrants). We then examined the relationship between these sub-categories with different hukou status and their income aspirations (i.e., expected wage levels). The estimated results suggest that, in comparison with urban-urban migrants, rural-urban migrants are more likely to self-deprecate. Discrimination against rural-urban migrants significantly restricts their income aspirations. These findings imply that it is urgent to eliminate these negative impacts caused by hukou discrimination in the Chinese urban labour market, and understanding the structure of labour force quality such as psychological condition appears to be important in determining the long-term sustainable development of labour market. Theoretical and empirical implications, limitations and further research directions are also discussed.

It seems that elderly parents in China receive less support from their adult children than before. This study contributes to the existing literature by examining whether anticipated support from children can be realized in the future. Results from the 2013 and 2015 CHARLS find that although not all elderly parents can receive their anticipated support, the anticipation has a positive effect on their psychological well-being in terms of life satisfaction. Moreover, elderly parents who are co-resident with their children, receiving monetary support from children, and frequently meeting their non-co-resident children are more likely to realize their anticipation.