Horizontal Connection And Vertical Buffer: Research On Collective Behavior Of Workers In The Reform Process

In 1990s, a tide of reform swept through China. State-owned enterprises(SOEs) reform affected the interests of workers directly. In that period, whether laid-off or not, workers of SOEs generally experienced a "crisis of survival", and sense of injustice. However, facts showed that the collective action of workers generally did not happen.Totalism countries want to destroy horizontal linkages of people, and reduce the flow of identity and geography, which make the individuals be atoms, to avoid challenges against legitimacy of the regime. However, due to the autonomy of the individual and the traditional culture, relationships still existed. "Atomic individual" did not appear, on the contrary, this caused the existence of "molecular individual". There is a limited link between workers. This "limited horizontal connection" constitute the interpersonal networks of workers, so workers tend to be collective silence. In the events of collective action, the scope is very small. "Limited horizontal connection" is an important mechanism to ensure stability in reform.Also in totalism countries, all levels of danweis and administrative organizations are agents of the state in various fields. With there agents, countries could avoid direct contact to individuals. If the workers take collective action, they cannot be against the state directly. Workers can get nothing. So the workers turned to other ways solve their problems. Therefore, workers tend to be collective silence at last. Even happened, they would be in the bottom level mostly. All levels of danweis and local governments are "effective vertical buffer", which protected the overall social stability."Limited horizontal connection" and "effective vertical buffer" are products of the regime. They are two important mechanisms to protect overall social stability in the reform process in China.