We studied 12 migrant families who lived on the outskirts of Beijing, conducting participant observations and in-depth interviews between July 2008 and December 2009. Adopting the family strengths perspective, we identified the strategies employed by the migrant population to manage family life, the reliance on family networks for help and support, and their means of coping with the lack of equal access to state-provided benefits and services. We argue that migrants and their families should not be the target of policy or practice interventions – despite the unequal treatment, they cope with various difficulties, survive the migration process and succeed in adjustment and adaptation to the migrant life – rather, the divisive hukou system and the associated unequal distribution of benefits and services require fundamental reform.

2008年7月至2009年12月間，我們通過參與觀察和深度訪談，跟蹤調查了居住在北京城郊的12個農民工流動家庭。運用家庭權能的視角，我們分析了流動人口如何安排家庭生活，依賴家庭網絡求助，以及應對平等使用國家提供福利和社會服務的缺失。我們認為，流動人口及其家庭不應成為政策或實踐干預的目標–盡管遭受不平等的待遇，他們依舊克服種種困難，在流動過程中生存下來，並成功適應了移民生活；改革的根本應是針對戶籍制度以消解城鄉二元分化及福利和社會服務提供的不平等。

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