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Migrant workers in China and their children too frequently are treated as outsiders in the city. This paper explores and compares the opportunities for female Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students in western rural areas of China. Learning from migrant girls how they perceive and evaluate benefits in and from their schooling provides us insights into how TVET played a role in achievements that rural migrant girls value and enact. The capability approach specified for education is used as a structure to assess TVET as experienced by its participants. This research shows that despite its deficiencies and obscurity within socio-economic structures, for the current generation of young rural migrant girls, TVET education was highly accessible, provided a singular opportunity and space to equip them with some skills and knowledge, and enhanced their capabilities to participate in a rapidly changing urbanizing economy. TVET education created changes on both individual and collective levels. Rural migrant girls' opportunities were constrained by unequal migration patterns and were structured along intersections of gender and ethnic lines. Implications for improving TVET policy include improved information flow, diversification of TVET curriculums, standardization of regulations, and increased opportunities for female and ethnic students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses the 2012 household skills survey conducted by the World Bank in Kunming, China, to investigate the relationship between personality traits and entrepreneurial development with a discrete choice model. The paper systematically examines whether different kinds of personality characteristics measured by the Big Five traits (extroversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, emotional stability. and openness) and risk preference influence entrepreneurial development in western China. The analysis indicates that personalities have significant effects on entrepreneurship behavior in general. In particular, individuals with higher risk preferences, extroversion, emotional stability, and conscientiousness are associated with a higher probability of choosing entrepreneurship. However, other factors have negligible impacts on entrepreneurship in our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There exist many difficulties for the college libraries of western China to develop digital libraries. These difficulties are shortage of funds, restriction of information infrastructure, library leadership, short- age of technical knowledge and user training. After analysis of these problems, this paper sums up some experiences and lessons learned. Based on this, some suggestions on how to solve those problems are put forward, including trying to extend funding sources, improving management knowledge, extending external communication, etc. The conclusion is that in order to provide good information service, the college libraries of western China must male every effort to conform to digital trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore the strong familial responsibility sense of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in rural western China, based on the data obtained from in-depth interviews. The data show that PLHIV were coping positively with a poor family economic status, caring for their family more than themselves, and taking concrete steps to fulfill their familial obligations. However, unique economic, cultural, and social factors exert negative impact on their ability to achieve their aims. The findings from our study illustrate that proper governmental and social interventions should be launched based on the actual situation and needs of local PLHIV and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Groundwater plays a critical role in arid West China where water is the limiting factor for development. This paper first describes groundwater characteristics in a region of four arid inland river watersheds and the problems associated with groundwater consumption. This region exhibits a unique alternating pattern of high mountains and depressions, which results in extensive interactions of surface water and groundwater. Then the authors propose six strategies to support adequate exploitation and use of groundwater in the region. These strategies are: 1) setting up a groundwater monitoring system; 2) forming a unified watershed authority, 3) protecting mountain ecology; 4) increasing the efficiency of groundwater usage; 5) protecting groundwater; and 6) supporting advanced research. The implementation of these strategies should be built upon the promotion of sustainable economic development and broad public support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Droughts have caused damage to regional agriculture in western China. The standardized precipitation index (SPI) and standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), widely used around the globe, are employed here to increase our understanding of the drought indices, spatiotemporal characteristics, and factors related to agricultural droughts in western China; this is important for water resource management and drought forecasting in the region. Results show that both the SPEI and SPI can monitor typical agricultural droughts, but some differences appear against a background of climate change. The SPEI can generally accurately reflect variations in soil moisture in humid regions, while the SPI shows a better performance in other climate zones. Three spatially well-defined sub-regions with different temporal evolutions of droughts were identified to explain the main dry/wet variations across western China. Large-scale circulation patterns, daily extreme precipitation, daytime heatwaves, and geographic factors were found to have a potential connection with droughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a deficiency in empirical knowledge on the physical and mental health of lower-income older people with weak family support in western rural China. To address this research gap, this article uses the data from the 2014 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey to analyze the disadvantaged situation of older people in western rural China through a regional comparative analysis. Our sample consisted of 7,138 older adults aged 60 or older in eastern and western, rural and urban China. We find that lower personal income is significantly associated with poor physical and mental health. Economic support from families means more for older people when they have a disability related to activities of daily living in western rural China. Fostering stronger family support networks might improve the mental health status of older people in western rural China. Our study suggests a broader scope for the state to play a greater role in economic empowerment and in the development of policies to effectively meet the present and future needs of older people in western rural China or other countries with an imbalance in the distribution of the aging population and welfare resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cao H. Urban-rural income disparity and urbanization: what is the role of spatial distribution of ethnic groups? A case study of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in Western China, Regional Studies. Since economic reforms in 1978, China's economic growth and urbanization has occurred alongside dramatic increases in regional inequality, and a corollary threat to sustainable development and social cohesion. Using the case study of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in Western China, this research clearly demonstrates that the spatial distribution of ethnic minorities reflects not only their spatial segregation, but also the degree of their socio-economic exclusion from the majority. As the income gap between the minority and majority population increases, the inclusion of minorities in the country's economic reforms is becoming increasingly critical for the future development of China. [image omitted] Cao H. Urbains L'ecart des revenus urbains-ruraux: quel role la distribution geographique des groupes ethniques joue-t-elle? Etude de cas de la region autonome de Xinjiang Uyghur dans l'ouest de la Chine, Regional Studies. Depuis les reformes economiques de 1978, la croissance economique et l'urbanisation de la Chine sont allees de pair avec un creusement des inegalites regionales et une menace corollaire pour le developpement durable et pour la cohesion sociale. A partir d'une etude de cas de la region autonome de Xinjiang Uyghur, la recherche montre bien que la distribution geographique des minorites ethniques reflete non seulement leur segregation geographique, mais aussi l'importance de leur exclusion socio-economique de la majorite. Au fur et a mesure que l'ecart se creuse, l'inclusion des minorites dans les reformes economiques du pays devient de plus en plus critique pour ce qui est du developpement futur de la Chine. Ecart des revenus urbano-ruraux Urbanisation Distribution geographique Groupes ethniques Xinjiang Ouest de la Chine Cao H. Einkommensdisparitat zwischen Stadt und Land und Urbanisierung: Welche Rolle spielt die raumliche Verteilung ethnischer Gruppen? Eine Fallstudie in der autonomen Region Xinjiang Uyghur in Westchina, Regional Studies. Seit den Wirtschaftsreformen von 1978 wurden das Wirtschaftswachstum und die Urbanisierung in China von dramatischen Steigerungen der regionalen Ungleichheit und einer daraus folgenden Bedrohung der nachhaltigen Entwicklung und gesellschaftlichen Kohasion begleitet. Anhand einer Fallstudie in der autonomen Region Xinjiang Uyghur weisen wir mit unserer Studie eindeutig nach, dass sich in der raumlichen Verteilung ethnischer Minderheiten nicht nur deren raumliche Segregation widerspiegelt, sondern auch das Ausmass ihrer soziookonomischen Abgrenzung von der Mehrheit. Mit einem steigenden Einkommensgefalle zwischen der Bevolkerungsminderheit und -mehrheit wird auch die Integration von Minderheiten in die Wirtschaftsreformen des Landes zunehmend wichtig fur die kunftige Entwicklung Chinas. Einkommensdisparitat zwischen Stadt und Land Urbanisierung Raumliche Verteilung Ethnische Gruppen Xinjiang Westchina Cao H. Desigualdades de ingresos urbanos-rurales y urbanizacion: ¿Cual es el papel de la distribucion espacial de los grupos etnicos? Un estudio de caso de la region autonoma de Xinjiang Uyghur en China occidental, Regional Studies. Desde las reformas economicas de 1978, el crecimiento economico y la urbanizacion de China han estado acompanados de aumentos considerables de las desigualdades regionales, y como corolario una amenaza al desarrollo sostenible y la cohesion social. Con ayuda de un estudio de caso de la region autonoma de Xinjiang Uyghur, en nuestra investigacion demostramos claramente que la distribucion espacial de las minorias etnicas son un reflejo no solo de su segregacion espacial sino tambien del grado de su exclusion socioeconomico de la mayoria. Segun aumenta la diferencia de ingresos entre la minoria y la mayoria de la poblacion, la inclusion de minorias en las reformas economicas del pais es cada vez mas importante para el futuro desarrollo de China. Desigualdad de ingresos urbanos-rurales Urbanizacion Distribucion espacial Grupos etnicos Xinjiang China occidental [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trend of mass-oriented development modes to ignore community and environmental interests in Western China has put ecotourism areas into a nonsustainable development state. This policy involves internal governmental interest sharing and balance issues. In reference to the debate on the unified management and property rights transfer management modes of ecotourism resources, this article builds a complete information dynamic game model to discuss the relative utilities to the central government of different property rights management modes. Results of the dynamic game analysis do not support the present property rights transfer policy adopted by the central government. This article suggests that the central government should be inclined to strengthen the unified management of ecotourism resources in future management mode reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the role of post-1999 'Develop the West' policies in promoting accelerated economic development in Chengdu and Chongqing, the two largest, spatially proximate metropolitan centers of western China. Differences between these two cities test theories regarding utilization of characteristics that flow from a place's location, history, political-economy, and cultural resources. Chengdu serves as the traditional capital of Sichuan province. The mountainous setting of Chongqing relegated it to a military-industrial complex dominated by state-owned enterprises. Its new autonomous status and completion of the Three Gorges Dam will solidify the city as the western edge of the Yangtze. It is argued that geographically reinforced historical cultural patterns form the basis of systemic problems. A key difference between the two cities lies in their different utilization of university research, a proxy for openness to information fueling change. Statistics and interviews accumulated in both cities flesh out this comparative examination of two major geographical bases for economic dynamism in west China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]