Economic Empowerment Through Community Economies: A Social Work Exploration Among Rural-to-Urban Migrant Mothers in Urban China

This article explores alternative pathways to women's economic empowerment in social work through a community economic approach for rural-to-urban migrant mothers in China. We present findings from observations of a community economic project and interviews with 20 rural-to-migrant mothers and social workers. The findings reveal three key processes—resources, agency, and achievements—through which economic empowerment becomes evident. Participants identified material, human, and social resources, as well as future claims for a sustainable life in the project. These resources empowered migrant mothers to exercise agency, as reflected in their cognitive capacity for critical analysis and goal-setting, their practical capacity for collective action towards social and ethical goals, and their subjective capacity through positive social-psychological experiences and increased self-worth. Furthermore, cooperative ways of reproduction among migrant mothers have organically integrated productive and reproductive work, highlighting the value of reproductive labor. We argue that community economies offer an alternative and a feminist approach to women's economic empowerment, engaging women in negotiations around ethical actions related to surviving well, self-care, caring for others, and investing in future generations. Engaging in community economies helps migrant mothers to reflect upon and critically examine the structural constraints that limit their agency, addressing barriers to their community participation.