Community support as a driver for social integration in ex-situ poverty alleviation relocation communities: a case study in China

After the implementation of Poverty Alleviation Relocation (PAR), the social integration of migrants has gradually received attention. While studies recognize the factors affecting migrants’ social integration such as human capital, social capital, and policies are multiple and co-influential, the role of community support in simultaneously influencing migrants’ social integration has been largely overlooked. This paper addresses this gap by introducing community support into the social integration framework, taking China’s PAR that cause complex spatial, economic, and social changes as the object of study. We evaluated the social integration of Poverty Alleviation Migrants (PAMs) in five Ex-situ Poverty Alleviation Relocation (ESPAR) communities in the southwestern province of China across four dimensions: psychological identity, economic integration, communicative integration, and cultural acceptance. Utilizing a multiple linear regression model, we analyzed influencing factors on social integration. Results indicate that overall social integration of PAMs is at a medium-high level, with psychological identity scoring the highest. Notably, community support significantly influences the social integration of PAMs, particularly in terms of psychological identity. In conclusion, we highlight the imperative of enhancing the spatial environment of ESPAR communities to facilitate the better integration of PAMs into society.