Ziyuan Kexue (May 2024)
Impact of individual income inequality on the sense of gain of farmers in poverty alleviation relocation: Mediation effect based on social integration
Abstract
[Objective] Registered impoverished farmers’ sense of gain is crucial for determining the achievements of poverty alleviation relocation. This study aims to examine the impact of individual income inequality on sense of gain of farmers relocated for poverty alleviation and its mechanism after poverty alleviation relocation. [Methods] Based on the relative deprivation theory and data from 1202 questionnaires of farmers relocated for poverty alleviation collected in four cities and eight counties (districts) in Shaanxi Province in 2021, this study explores the relationship between individual income inequality, relocated farmers’ sense of gain, and social integration by using an ordered-probit model and the mediation effect model. [Results] (1) On the whole, the surveyed farmers think the gains outweigh the losses from the poverty alleviation relocation. However, individual income inequality has a significant negative impact on relocated farmers’ sense of gain. (2) The mediation mechanism analysis reveals that individual income inequality influences sense of gain through relocated farmers’ social integration, completely through economic integration while partly through social connections and community participation. Psychological integration has a suppression effect. (3) Heterogeneity analysis shows that the above effects of individual income inequality are weaker or insignificant among relocated farmers whose family obtain educational or medical and health supports. [Conclusion] The findings indicate that the government should not only implement employment policies targeted at low-income relocated households, but also help them expand their social networks. Meanwhile, it is necessary to improve the basic public service system in the destination areas.
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