Case Study: Dhaka, Bangladesh 

Video #2: Megacities Reflect Growing Urbanization Trend 

•  Why are people moving from rural to urban areas? 

People are moving from rural to urban areas to escape poverty. The salary of someone who lives in rural areas could be significantly lower than urban areas. There aren’t as many job opportunities to take on that pay enough to feed their families in rural areas. Living in urban areas comes with the huge benefit of a higher paying job that might not take as much effort as a job in rural areas. However, with this benefit comes a disadvantage, which is the price of living in urban areas. Food, water, clothing and shelter are more expensive in the city. Despite this, people still choose to live in urban areas because there isn’t much environmental pressure, there are better jobs and it is easier to start afresh. 

•  When people move from rural to urban areas, where do they settle first?

The areas that people who move from rural to urban areas usually settle in the megacities first because it easier to start a life there. There are more areas with food, shelter and clothing. 

• What are some common issues with these types of settlement

With these areas becoming more and more populated, there are many issues. Some of them include raw sewage being extremely polluted, electricity and water networks having very high demands. When water shortages last too long, protests occur. People who have moved to the city have it harder because their land is not entitled under their name so they do not have legal access to water. Even though there are many issues, people still move for the sake of having better pay and hoping for a better life. 

Case Study: Bejing, China

                         Video #3: Urban Migration for Young Chinese on the Rise 

• Why do the young Chinese migrants feel like they do not fit in? 

Many young Chinese migrants feel like they do not fit in because they also want to interact with other women but all they talk about is marriage and having kids. In their current situation, having proper shelter is hard to afford, starting a new family would be even more difficult. Due to this, they feel like they can’t be like everyone else. 

• What are some major complaints from these migrants?  

The major complaints that these migrants have are loneliness and low wage. These two factors have made it for young men to approach their potential partners. They feel that they cannot make their partner want to stay with them or continue their relationship because of long working hours. These complaints have made them think that dating is a waste of time, money and emotions. 

• What government practice limits the rights of migrant workers? 

The chinese household registration limits the rights of migrant workers by preventing them from assimilating once they arrive in the cities. The chinese huang sung(I’m not very sure this is the correct name) registration also makes it difficult for them to receive social services such as healthcare, education and credit.