The Study On The Workers' Status Of Nantong Dasheng Enterprise (1895-1949)

This thesis takes workers in modern Dasheng Enterprise of Nantong as the object of study, using the research approaches of history, regional social studies and the theory of society in transition. It has made a comprehensive, systematic study of the source of workers, living conditions, strikes and the role of workers in social changes of urban and rural areas in modern Nantong. It is divided into three parts: introduction, main part which including four chapters and conclusion.The introductory part made a brief review of the academic history of the research of modern workers and modern Nantong. It summed up the main academic problems of past studies. It fully affirmed the achievements at first, and then pointed out the shortcomings, especially the obvious lack of research in workers of modern Dasheng Enterprise. Based on it, I have confirmed the object, intention and methods of the study.Chapter I is about origins of workers in modern Dasheng Enterprise. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Zhang Jian and others set up the modern industrial system in Nantong, which starts the process of industrialization of Nantong. The development of modern industry has a great impact on the surrounding rural areas, so changes appear in rural society. Because of temptation of wages and internal driving force of differentiation in rural society, peasants walk into the factories.Chapter II is based on oral information of workers in early Dasheng Enterprise, describing its labor force status and living conditions and especially the status of women and child labor. "Half workers and half peasants" is the most prominent feature of the workers in Dasheng Enterprise. Even though they have suffered a great deal of pain in the factory, but the transformation of peasant to workers itself is some kind of social progress. Compared with the pure rural life, the pain that they experienced in the factory is at a higher platform. This is why innumerable peasants continue to work in the factories when knowing that it's hard to work in the factories. Chapter III is about labor relations and workers' survival struggle in modern Dasheng Enterprise. In order to maintain a basic livelihood, workers struggle with the employers in the negative form of sabotage and strikes. Behind the conflict of labors and employers is the interests gambling of both sides, and penetration of political forces into workers.Chapter IV analyzes the interaction between workers of modern Dasheng Enterprise and social changes of Nantong in modern times. Workers of modern Dasheng Enterprise are the main force of industrialization of Nantong. Influenced by the modernization process, the lifestyles and values of the workers are also being changed. The changes play an important role in social transformation of rural areas in modern Nantong.Conclusion part summarizes the main points. The production mode of workers of modern Dasheng Enterprise is "Half workers and half peasants", which is similar with the workers in today's township enterprises. In order to achieve the transformation of rural surplus labor force in promoting the process of rural industrialization and protect their lives, their experiences and lessons are worth summing up seriously.