Impact of religious cultural similarity on internal migration: a regional perspective in contemporary China
Abstract Although research has examined migrants’ attraction to religious environments in detail, the broader impact of loosely organized religions on migration patterns in highly secularized countries such as China has received relatively little attention. This study bridges this gap by developing...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05272-2 |
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| Summary: | Abstract Although research has examined migrants’ attraction to religious environments in detail, the broader impact of loosely organized religions on migration patterns in highly secularized countries such as China has received relatively little attention. This study bridges this gap by developing a religious cultural similarity (RCS) index to quantify cultural similarities among 339 Chinese cities based on their distribution of religious sites. Analysis of 69,620 city pairs suggests that higher RCS between cities promotes migration in China. This effect varies according to regional religious setting: migrants from ancestor worship–dominated cities are least attracted by RCS. This study’s findings deepen our understanding of the cultural role of religion within secular contexts. |
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| ISSN: | 2662-9992 |