Out of their comfort zone and out of depth: Understanding the challenges of urbanites working in remote areas in Australia and China

5th Sino-Australia Forum, CASS-Flinders, Beijing, 2015 1

Out of their Comfort Zone and Out of Depth: Understanding the challenges of Urbanites working in Remote Areas in

Australia and China 离乡背井：理解中澳扩散式移民的融合障碍

Associate Professor Pi-Shen Seet (薛丕声) Dr Janice Jones

Flinders University, Australia Dr Tim Acker

Curtin University, Australia Michelle Whittle

Flinders University, Australia

7/20/2015

Agenda • Background to Research (研究的背景) -

internal migration in Australia and China • Literature Review and Gaps(文献综述) • Research Objective and Methodology (研究目标)

• Research Study Findings and Implications (研究性学习)

• Conclusion (结论和未来研究)

7/20/2015 5th Sino-Australia Forum, CASS-Flinders, Beijing, 2015

Slide Number 2

Research Background – Internal Migration Trends Australia (1)

• For most of 20th century, Australia has seen movement of people from rural to urban areas (从乡村转移到城市)


3

Distribution of Australian Population (Source: Hugo & Smailes, 1985)

乡村城市

Research Background – Internal Migration Trends Australia (2)

• Last 10-15 years, trend has been reversing (扭转这一趋势)

• >7.5 million Australians now live outside capital cities - increase of almost 500,000 since 2001.


4

Population Change for Métropolitain and Non-métropolitain areas, 2006-11; Source: ABS Census Data 2011 (based on Usual Place of Residence)

乡村城市

Research Background – Internal Migration Trends China

• Similar trends in China for most of 20th century (从乡村转移到城市)

• Some recent trends


5

Internal Migration Flows 1985-1990; Source: 1990 Census data and Chan, Liu and Yang (1999)

2010 Chinese Population Census (NBS, 2012) – 21-28% of internal migrants moving from cities/towns to rural areas

Research Background – Reasons for Internal Migration Changes

• Escape stress, congestion and pollution (逃避压力，交通堵塞和空气污染) (Seet et al. 2015; Zhao, 2002)

• Better economic opportunities (经济机会)(Chan, 2013; Hugo & Smailes, 1985)

– increasing competition for jobs in major cities – key skill shortages in more remote areas

• Government policy and incentives (政府激励) – Australia - Rural Health Workforce Strategy Incentive

Programs (Chan, 2011)

– China - Great Western Development Strategy (西部大开发) (Holbig, 2004)


6

Sea changers and Tree Changers in Australia (海边跳槽者)


7

Literature Review and Gaps （文献综述）

• Many who move face significant problems coping / adjusting to new settings (新的环境应困难). (Dowling, Festing, & Engle, 2013; Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 1997)

• Most current research on how people from rural/ remote settings face difficulties in urban life (Ragusa, 2011) (乡村移民适应生活城市的障碍)。

– Lack of research in challenges people with mainly urban upbringing and backgrounds face, when they move to and work in rural/ remote parts.


8

Research Objective (研究目标) • Research objective = Understanding the Challenges

of Workers from Urban Backgrounds working in Rural/ Remote areas through a cultural competence perspective. (理解中澳城乡移民的融合障碍)

• Focus on intangibles, specifically cultural competence (跨文化能力). – Cultural competence: the integration and transformation

of knowledge about individuals and groups of people into specific standards, policies, practices, and attitudes used in appropriate cultural settings to increase the quality of services; thereby producing better outcomes (Davis, 1997).


9

Conceptual Research Model

Urbanites (城市居民)

• Young: early 20’s/ 1st job

• Females （女子） • Art degrees (文

学士) • Lack of

experience in remote/ rural communities （缺乏乡村工作经验）

Outcomes (结果)

• Reduced turnover ( 减少人员流动)

• Improved attraction (改善吸引力)

• Realistic worker expectations

• Better quality of services and performance (更好的服务质量)

Cultural Competence

• Integration of knowledge about individuals and groups of people

• Specific standards, policies and practices

• Appropriate cultural attitudes (文化态度)

During Before After


Slide Number 10

跨文化能力

之前期间之后

Research Methodology • Australia:

– Conducted in association with the Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation (CRC-REP).

– In-depth exploratory interviews with 21 workers with Urban backgrounds in Remote areas (城乡移民)

• China: – Secondary research among Chinese Non-Governmental

Organisation (NGO - 非政府机构) workers living and working in interior parts of China

• Data analysed using thematic analysis (主题分析法)


11

Hampden-Turner & Trompenaars (2000) Cultural Competence model


12

• Has been applied at different levels: individual (个人), organisational (组织) and national (国族).

• Has looked at the cultural differences within one country, across subcultures.

Research Findings - Australia • Individualism vs Communitarianism (个体与集体)

– Urbanites have a strong individualistic culture (Muecke et al., 2011) whereas rural/ remote people are often more communitarian

• Universalism vs Particularism (普遍性与特殊性) – Rural/ remote people are particularistic, placing more

value on relationships (Pearson et al., 2013). • Specific vs Diffuse (专一型与扩散型)

– Much of what is conveyed in face-to-face interactions in rural/ remote communities consists of non-verbal communication (Braysich, 1979).


13

Research Findings - China • Specific vs Diffuse (专一型与扩散型)

– Urbanites have too general/ diffuse skills and lack the specific farming knowledge needed (Xinhua, 2012)

• Achievement vs Ascription (成就型与归属型) – “Provinces have better all-round living environments --

you will have everything you need and prospects to keep moving up the career ladder outside of Beijing and Shanghai too.” (Shi, 2013)

– If you’re a Beijing-based college grad who enjoys ordering anything you want on Taobao in the morning and getting it by courier that same afternoon, the prospect of going to a place where the chickens outnumber the people … may not be that appealing.” (Custer, 2015)


14

Research Findings - China • Inner-directed vs Outer directed (内控与外控)

– “as for university graduates, there are incentives. For example: guaranteed job placement if you transfer your hukou, or a 3,000 RMB gift" (Shi, 2013)

– Government encouraging urban entrepreneurs to move to rural areas to help catch up - “a noble goal” (Custer, 2015).

– “much better air quality … the advantage of owning a car in an environment in which one would actually be able to use it, rather than on Beijing's congested ring roads. (Shi, 2013)

– “the withering disrespect, the arrogant glares and the disparaging comments from urbanites” (Siggins, 2011).


15

Conclusion & Future Research (结论和未来研究)

• Evidence of cultural competence gaps (跨文化能力) among urbanites in remote/ rural settings in Australia and China – Different dimensions for the 2 countries (中澳文化尺度不一样)

• Policy response – Need to better select, prepare and support these urbanites to work in new environment (更好的选择，制备和支持)

• Further research – primary data study in China with interviews/ a larger-scale survey (中国初级资料研究 - 访谈, 调查)


Slide Number 16

5th Sino-Australia Forum, CASS-Flinders, Beijing, 2015 17

Thank you 谢谢 Associate Professor Pi-Shen Seet (薛丕声)

[email protected] Flinders University, Australia

Dr Janice Jones Flinders University, Australia

Dr Tim Acker Curtin University, Australia

Michelle Whittle Flinders University, Australia

7/20/2015

mailto:[email protected]

Art & Photos

Out of their comfort zone and out of depth: Understanding the challenges of urbanites working in remote areas in Australia and China