Research On Behavior Anomie Of The Rural-Urban Floating Population In China During The Transformation Period

After the reform and opening up, China has entered into a social-changing period with intertwined "sharp" economic transition and "slow" transformation of social structure, involving profound changes in the economic, political, social, cultural, ideological aspects of the entire society. Different contradictions that emerge during social development, such as tradition and modernity, west and east, city and country, reform and stability, development and harmony, effeciency and fairness all break out in this synchronic process. The "sharp" transition from planned economy to market economy, which breaks original interest relationship and pattern, changes people’s previous concepts and models of economic life, leading to the enormous changes in economic life in China. However, the transformation of social structure has lagged far behind in political system, democratic and legal construction, and impartial social environment. Chinese society has stepped into an unprecedented era of accelerated transformation and change period. Also, people are in a period with great liberation and change in ideology, following by the tremendous change in the system of social norms and people’s ethics and values.Since the reform and opening up, with in-depth development of China’s industrialization and urbanization, extensive rural-urban floating population flood into cities, leading to corresponding tremendous changes in their behavior environment. Under the institutional regulation of China’s urban-rural dual structure, the living and working environment of rural-urban floating population endow more profound meaning. In this historical period of social transformation and social change, the behavior anomie among the rural-urban floating population becomes a hot spot and focus issue in cities, which has aroused general concern and has been put high value by government, academia and society. Therefore, to scientifically understand the behavior anomie of rural-urban floating population during the social transition period, and clarify the partial knowledge to this group has great theoretical and practical significance for us to normalize their behaviour, promote social equity and justice, put forward the healthy development for population’s urbanization and citizenization. Finally, we can construct the harmonious and stable social order. This paper applies historical materialism and dialectical materialism as a methodological basis, takes a combination of collectivism and individualism as a sociological research paradigm, and comprehensively implements multi-disciplinary, multi-angle method. From the overall idea of this thesis’ frame to the theoretical and empirical analysis approach, we learn a lot and do the research on the basis of Durkheim’s causal and functional analysises and Merton’s structural functionalism. By doing the fuctional analysis, we try to reveal the objective reasons of behavior anomie from the social structure factors; to uncover the subjective reasons from individual psychological structural factors; and explain the integrated reasons and formation mechanism from the interaction of external and internal factors.From our perspective, the cause of rural-urban floating population’s behavior anomie is indispensable from its unique social and historical background, and intertwined with deep social system and environmental policy. It origins from various specific macroscopic and microscopic factors. Thus, we need to put this problem under specific space and time, then make dynamic analysises and transverse comparisons. We consistently based this reseach on the precondition that now China is in the special transitional period; and is implementing "one country two policies, city and countryside disport rule" under the urban-rural dual structure system, do the reseach of external objective environment from the angles of history and present situation. Meanwhile, we also consider the internal subjective factor of the individual with anomie behavior by doing the detailed survey for floating population’s living and working enviroment. Further under the basis of empirical analysis and theoretical analysis, reveals the formation mechanism of the behavior anomie among rural-urban floating population in China during the transformation period.This paper is divided into eight chapters with main points as follow:Chapter one:Introduction. Mainly about research background and origin, purpose and significance of the topic, definition of the basis concepts, domestic and international literature review and research inspiration, research ideas and methods, data sources, and possible innovation and inadequacies. We give the subjects clear definitions, defining and distinguishing the paired concepts, including "transformation period" and "social transformation","rural-urban population mobility" and "rural-urban floating population","behavior anomie" and "anomie behavior". We carefully eliminate the respondents not belonging rural-urban floating population by the questionnaire. Only by doing so, could we reveal the formation mechanism from floating people’s common character and make contrast with other social groups.Chapter two:analysis on basic theory of behavior anomie. According to the research thematic needs, this paper takes the Behavioral Science and Human Behavior Pattern Theory (Lewin’s Behavior Magnetic Field Theory and Human Behavior’s Double Factors&Double Transforms Mechanism Theory) as a theoretical foundation, complemented by sociological theory on behavior anomie analysis (Durkheim’s Social Anomie Theory, Merton’s Structural Tension Behavior Anomie Theory, Chicago School’s Social Disorganization Theory, and Sellin’s Culture Conflict Theory), and psychological theories (Behaviourism School’s S-O-R Behavior Pattern Theory and Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory) as interpretation tools of theoretical analysis. Behavioral Science Theory thinks people’s behavior is a function of the environment variable and individual variable; and a product of interaction between enviroment and individual, exteral and internal factors. Therefore, we need to emphasize that any behavior change of this group is happening in their "living space", namely, the special "behavior field", including social environment field (external field and objective field) and "individual psychological field"(internal filed and subjective field). These two fields have mutual influence. Among them,"internal field" and "psychological field" are the decisive factors for individual behavior.Chapter three:analysis on current situation, characteristics, and trend of the rural-urban floating population. Under the combination of statistical data, survey documents, and judgments on empirical facts, this paper comprehensively elaborates the main expression, basic characteristics and trend of behavior anomie among rural-urban floating population in China during the transformation period. Survey says the "three non-personnel" of rural-urban floating population (people without a permanent residence, a regular job, and a source of income) are high risk group to commit crime. It is the main characteristic of rural-urban floating population’s behavior anomie. On the contrary, the real rural migrant workers are not in this group. In fact, behavior anomie are always reflected in the encroachment of others’property. The cases of robbery, grab and theft are typical ones."Self relief" crimes also exist. Their happenings are always with blind motivation, characterized by emergency, violence, and mobility. They are frequently committed by criminal gangs in special space and time, with the tendency of younger age, organization, intelligence and profession.Chapter four:analysis on the external factors of behavior anomie among rural-urban floating population. This paper interprets external environment of behavior anomie among rural-urban floating population, mainly from five aspects: institutional and policy environment, living environment and interpersonal network, current floating population management mode, the rights and interests protection and relief situation, and the level of acceptance from citizens and mainstream society to rural-urban floating population. This is the "social enviroment field" for floating people’s behavior anomie. We think the dual household registration system is the original reason for this problem. This system together with other related systems and policy discriminations are the external reasons. While the financial conflicts and legitimate rights impairment are the direct reasons.Chapter five:analysis on the internal factors of behavior anomie among rural-urban floating population. This paper interprets individual factors of behavior anomie among rural-urban floating population, mainly from four aspects: demographic characteristics of rural-urban floating population, internal needs and motivation, inner psychological state, employment and urban life skills. This is the "individual psychological field" for these people’s behavior anomie. Feeling being deprived, they form a psychological imbalance and classify themselves as a disadvantaged group. Such self identity leads to some floating people’s personality disorganization. It is also the decisive factor to arouse their behavior anomie.Chapter six:analysis on the formation mechanism of behavior anomie among rural-urban floating population. Starting with the social background and social reality of behavior anomie among rural-urban floating population, such as the social and historical background ("transformation period"), system background ("two yuan structure of urban and rural system"), population background ("population cosmically floating and rapidly urbanizing"). This paper interprets that the conflicts between objects and methods are the internal mechanism and root cause of behavior anomie among rural-urban floating population, and finally points out that it is the outcome of the joint effects of external and internal factors.Chapter seven:Prevention and control measures on behavior anomie among rural-urban floating population. To prevent and regulate the anomie behavior, from one angle, we should adjust the behavior itself, but more important, we should make precautions against its formation mechanism. Therefore, this thesis, based on the discussion content, proposes the measures to prevent and control the anomie behavior for rural-urban floating population from two levels:for one thing, we focus on macroscopical institutional innovation and reform, and try to find an available and effective institutional ways; for another, some feasible and concrete countermeasures can be taken recently.Chapter eight:Conclusions and prospects. In this chapter, this paper summarizes the major research conclusion. The general viewpoint of this paper is that, behavior anomie among rural-urban floating population in China during the transformation period is the outcome of joint effects of external and internal factors. External factors are the precondition and condition, while internal factors are the basis and key. In the end, this paper put forward the prospect of the study and the direction of further efforts.