Summary of undergraduate professional literature

Title: Summary of Social Identity of Migrant Workers.

Last name: * * *

School: College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Professional field: sociology

Class level: social 4 1

Student ID: 22 14 104

Instructor: Qu Yong Title: Lecturer

June 30(th), 2007

Nanjing Agricultural University Academic Affairs Office System

A summary of the research on social identity of migrant workers

Wang Jiapeng, a sociology major

Instructor qu Yong

Abstract: Since the reform and opening up, migrant workers have become a hot issue in academic research. Social stratification and social structure have always been the mainstream perspective of migrant workers' research, while objective social stratification is the main perspective of migrant workers' social stratum research. Because objective social stratification ignores the subjectivity of social actors, many scholars put forward another perspective of social stratification research, that is, the study of subjective identity of strata. This paper summarizes the definition of social identity, the study of social stratification of migrant workers, and the identity, professional identity, local (land) identity, system identity and class identity.

Keywords: migrant workers; Social identity; Social construction; social stratification

A summary of the research on social identity of rural floating population

Wang Jiapeng, a sociology major.

Tutor qu Yong

Abstract: since the reform and opening up, the study of migrant workers has been a major topic. Social stratification and social structure are the mainstream perspectives of most rural migration studies, but objective stratification is the main perspective of farmers' social stratification. Because of ignoring the subjectivity of the subject, many scholars study social stratification from another angle, that is, the subjective identity of the stratum. This paper reviews the concept of identity, the current research on social stratification of migrant workers, and the research on social identity of migrant workers, such as identity, professional identity, local (land) identity, system identity and class identity.

Keywords: rural immigrants; Social identity; Social constructivism; social stratification

introduce

Great changes have taken place in the class structure of China since the reform and opening up. Social structure transformation has become the knowledge of most researchers, and it is called "the other invisible hand" outside the market [1]3- 18. Since the mid-1990s, under the background of resource accumulation, the bipolar society has become more obvious, and the bottom society dominated by farmers and migrant workers has gradually formed. [2]77- 135

However, for a long time, the research on this class structure transformation is mainly based on objective stratification, especially the lack of understanding of the subjective significance of migrant workers as one of the main groups at the bottom; In recent years, on the one hand, with the constant "practice and reflection" of researchers, the limitations of objective stratification research have gradually reached * * * knowledge [3], on the other hand, due to the prominent social adaptation or social integration of migrant workers, at the same time, the state has paid more and more attention to class consciousness, especially the subjective identity of the bottom groups [4]9-20, thus promoting the research on farmers' social identity. This paper summarizes the current research status of social identity of migrant workers.

First, the definition of social identity.

Identity and social identity

Identity is a complex and controversial concept. People define and explain it from different angles, such as its mechanism characteristics, functions, behavior characteristics and dynamic mechanism. Generally speaking, it can be understood from three levels: first, identity is a positioning of one's own role and the relationship with others; Secondly, identity is the result of social interaction; Third, identity is a dynamic process. [5]30-3 1

Identity can be divided into self-identity and social identity. Self-identity refers to an individual's self-confirmation of his role and his perception of his position in a suitable structure. Social identity refers to the * * * identity of a group. On the one hand, self-identity is identity under the condition of social identity, and self-identity without social identity does not exist; On the other hand, social identity exists in the self-identity of members of a certain group. Judging from the relationship between individuals and society, human identity is a continuum composed of social identity and self-identity. [5]32-33

Custer believes that identity is the source of human meaning and experience. According to the construction form and source of identity, he divided social identity into legal identity, rebellious identity and planned identity. The construction of these three identities led to the emergence of civil society, identity and subject respectively. [6]6- 1 1

The division of Caster is a more general analysis of the construction process and results of different identities. This paper mainly summarizes the research status of social identity of migrant workers, and divides social identity into identity identity, professional identity, class identity, local (land) identity, institutional identity and gender identity.

(2) Social classification and identity construction

Social life is complicated, and classification is a way of thinking to simplify the complexity of life and form social order. Classification is a way for us to know the world. People classify the world as well as themselves. Classification also gives meaning to itself and the world, and social identity is the identity of social classification.

The most important classification is the distinction between people and me, and the distinction between "my group" and "other groups". Group differences are produced through * * * * experience and constant interaction, and the most important mechanism for the construction and maintenance of social group identity is to exclude and accommodate people who are not in our group, so as to construct our own identity world. This kind of recognition and accommodation usually has strong value and subjectivity. [7] [8]203-223 As far as migrant workers are concerned, we can see that urban residents reject and accommodate them to varying degrees, and we can also see that migrant workers themselves reject and accommodate them. It is this dual process that finally forms the subjective identity of migrant workers.

(c) Social identity and social adaptation

Social adaptation refers to the integration degree of a group relative to the mainstream society. There are mainly the following differences between social identity and social adaptation: First, the starting point is different. Social identification is mainly the identification of the social belonging of the learned group, while social adaptation is the judgment of the society on the degree of integration of the learned group into the mainstream society; Second, the value is different. Social identity respects the subjective understanding of the group under study, tries to be value neutral, and allows the group under study to "speak" for itself. Social adaptation is the adaptation of the studied group to the mainstream society, which may also imply the appreciation of the mainstream society and the degradation of the studied group. It is the researcher who "speaks" for the group being studied. Third, the research purpose is different. The purpose of social identity research is to understand and explain the meaning of the studied group, while social adaptation often regards the studied group as a "problem", and its purpose is to solve the "problem" of the studied group constructed by itself.

Second, migrant workers and social stratification

The basis of social identity is social classification, and the most important classification in the research field is social stratification, that is, the classification of people according to different or comprehensive standards such as economic income, power and prestige. Therefore, to study the social identity of migrant workers, we must first understand their social affiliation, and then their own subjective identity.

(A) the social structure of migrant workers

Social stratification has always been a hot topic in sociological research, and every scholar will put forward his own objective stratification standard. However, although different scholars have different views on the current types of social structure in China, whether it is pyramid structure, inverted T-shaped structure [9] or broken structure, they all think that there is a large underclass, and they all think that farmers and migrant workers are the main groups of the underclass. [ 10]

Specifically, the status of migrant workers in the social structure can be analyzed from Weber's three hierarchical standards: in terms of political status (power), due to the exclusion of the dual system such as household registration system, migrant workers are in a political marginal position; In terms of economic status (wealth), due to the existence of two completely separated reward systems, migrant workers are still in the bottom position; In terms of social prestige, the professional prestige of migrant workers is very low. [ 1 1]4-9

The research group of "Research on Social Structure Changes in Contemporary China" of China Academy of Social Sciences divides China people into ten classes, with agricultural workers and urban unemployed as the bottom. After the reform and opening up, farmers are divided into eight classes, including agricultural laborers, migrant workers, hired workers, peasant intellectuals, individual industrial and commercial households and private entrepreneurs, among which the number of migrant workers is large, and the proportion of each class has increased since the 1990s. [ 12] 169- 184

(B) the limitations of the study of objective social stratification

This hierarchical research mainly has the following limitations: first, it mainly focuses on static structure analysis, ignoring the formation process of migrant workers at the bottom of social structure, lacking timeliness and historical sense; Secondly, it is mainly the subjective understanding of researchers as objects, while ignoring the subjectivity of migrant workers as social actors, which is a kind of "discourse of the other"; Third, follow the scientific paradigm to pursue objective knowledge, while ignoring the subjective understanding and practical experience of migrant workers; Fourth, we use professional knowledge to "test" the lives of migrant workers, while ignoring the understanding of the meaning of migrant workers themselves, that is, we have not deeply understood and recognized their "local knowledge."

It is precisely because of the neglect of subjectivity as a social actor in the study of objective social stratification that some scholars have made subjective research on social stratification, and some even regard social identity as a new perspective in the study of social stratification. Zhou Xiaohong studied the social psychology of farmers earlier, but he mainly studied the process of farmers' modernity acquisition from the perspective of social psychology and social history, without discussing the social identity of migrant workers in the transition period in detail. [13]4-9 Wang Chunguang's research found that there are many differences between the objective reality and subjective construction of social classes, which suggests that we must consider the influence of personal life and China system on the formation of class concept when studying social classes. [14] Li Chunling's analysis shows that the degree of identity consistency of all classes is different. Generally speaking, the recognition of the top and bottom is high, while the recognition of the middle class is relatively low. [15] Li Youmei, on the other hand, discussed the basic fields of social identity, the structural evolution of social identity and the new ideas of social identity construction from a macro perspective, and proposed to construct a "social self-regulation system" to control the disorder of social identity. [ 16] [ 17]

Fourthly, the content and influencing factors of migrant workers' social identity.

Social identity is a broad concept, and different scholars have mainly studied one or several aspects of it, including identity, professional identity, class identity, local (land) identity, institutional identity, gender identity and so on. Here, we will summarize the research status of migrant workers' social identity from these aspects.

Identity: Are migrant workers farmers or urbanites?

Identity refers to the social identity of migrant workers as farmers or urban residents. The difference between farmers and urban residents is not only the difference in household registration, but also the difference in resource allocation and rights brought about by the household registration system. Therefore, farmers here are not a profession relative to industrial workers, but a social identity relative to urban residents. Many scholars believe that the title of migrant workers has become the third identity coexisting with farmers and urban residents.

Chen Yingfang believes that "migrant workers", as the third identity coexisting with "farmers" and "urban residents", is the product of the co-construction of various systems and cultures in China in the past 20 years, which ultimately makes it impossible for "migrant workers" who leave the countryside and change their status as farmers to obtain the status of "urban residents" in cities. On the one hand, the construction of the identity of "migrant workers" provides legitimacy or legitimacy for various systems and their advantages as "urban residents"; On the other hand, "migrant workers" are treated differently in cities, resulting in a sense of relative deprivation. For the purpose of self-protection, they agree with this unfair "migrant worker identity". Therefore, the problem of migrant workers is not only a problem of protecting the rights and interests of migrant workers, but also a problem of civil rights. [18] Tang Bin specially studied the formation process of migrant workers' identity. Under the opposite and different outward thrust of urban and rural areas, migrant workers tend to identify themselves as "double-edged people". Rural areas give positive appreciation to farmers for going out to work, while cities constantly make negative comments through their self-psychological expectations. The role of two opposing forces makes the self-personality of migrant workers contradictory and conflicting, which also leads to the fuzziness and uncertainty of their identity. [19] The "double-edged person" here is actually an image expression of the more formal title of "migrant workers".

However, some people think that migrant workers mainly identify with the identity of farmers, and some of them are vague. Migrant workers rarely identify with city people. Local memory, expectation of entering the city and city experience play a great role in their social identity, while demographic characteristics such as gender and age have no explanatory power. [20]

Professional status: Are migrant workers industrial workers?

Professional identity refers to the degree of migrant workers' professional identity. Because there are many kinds of occupations, most people do not subdivide them, but generally use the concept of industrial workers.

Fang Ying believes that on the one hand, the emphasis on the identity of migrant workers will lead to unfair feelings of migrant workers, which is not conducive to social stability; On the other hand, because the career trend of migrant workers is industrial workers, it has even been suggested that migrant workers should be regarded as industrial workers, so their identity should be diluted and reasonable professional identity should be constructed. The specific way is to raise their wages, carry out vocational training and vocational education, and establish a positive image of migrant workers through the media. [2 1]

Whether migrant workers are industrial workers is also controversial. One view holds that migrant workers are workers in new industries mainly from employment characteristics and income, while the other holds that it is too early to draw the conclusion that migrant workers are workers in new industries by comparing their class attributes, interest conflicts and political expressions from the perspective of household registration system barriers. [22]

(c) Local (land) identity: Do migrant workers miss the countryside (land)?

Local identity refers to migrant workers' identity with rural life, especially their dependence on land. Most people believe that age is the main factor that determines the degree of rural (land) identity of migrant workers.

Relevant research shows that there are obvious differences in rural (land) identity of migrant workers of different ages. Relatively speaking, the older migrant workers have a higher degree of identification with the countryside (land) and still have a greater dependence on the land, while the younger migrant workers have a lower degree of identification with the countryside (land). [23] Wang Chunguang's research specifically pointed out that the new generation of rural floating population has a certain local identity with their hometown, but compared with the previous generation of rural floating population, their identity with their hometown is more tied up with their feelings for their loved ones, while their attachment to other aspects of their hometown is weakening. [24]

Institutional identity: Do migrant workers agree with the various national systems for them?

Identity of the household registration system: the household registration system is the product of the dual social structure, and its essence is a social shielding system, which realizes the construction of order through compulsory allocation of resources and unfairly treats farmers. At present, migrant workers' recognition of the household registration system is gradually weakening. [25]

Identification of employment system: employment system includes enterprise employment system and social security system. Most migrant workers lack social security, and many migrant workers are employed informally. Generally speaking, the institutional identity of migrant workers is relatively lacking, and the institutional identity of migrant workers in informal employment is even lower. [25]

The identity of urban management system refers to the identity of migrant workers in the management and law enforcement system of urban migrants. Urban management is mainly a kind of preventive management, "hands-on, regardless of the brain", coupled with the private interests of individual managers or management departments, which increases the cost of migrant workers. Therefore, the social identity of migrant workers to the urban management system is greatly reduced. [25]

(5) Class identity: Are migrant workers the lowest class in society?

Class identification refers to migrant workers' identification and evaluation of their position in the whole social structure. For the social identity of farmers, researchers mainly focus on one or several types of research, generally discussing the class identity or class consciousness of migrant workers. Here, we regard the class identity of migrant workers as the identity of their position in the whole social structure formed by the above-mentioned identity, professional identity and institutional identity.

Generally speaking, most migrant workers think their status is lower than that of urban residents, but higher than that of rural farmers. But at the same time, the class identity of migrant workers is vague and uncertain. According to the evaluation of social knowledge groups, social identity can be positive or negative, while migrant workers are mainly negative because of their inferior position in cities. Their coping strategies are: acquiesce in the legitimacy of their inferior position; Attach importance to land, which is the last line of defense for migrant workers; Take hometown farmers as the reference group, not urban residents, etc. [26] The negative identity or identity crisis of migrant workers may stem from relative deprivation and "passerby psychology".

In addition, there are gender identity, organizational identity, community identity, national (political) identity, national identity and other identity categories, but due to the lack of relevant research, space is limited, so I will not repeat them here.

In fact, the above social identities are interrelated and influential, and we only classify them for the convenience of narration. The social identity of migrant workers has certain integrity, complexity, relevance and fuzziness. In daily practice, they don't need or classify themselves. They only seek a kind of social identity to define and express their interests and protect themselves through the interaction of the urban world, the local world, the imaginary world and the real world. [27] So, we can say how they live, or how they live, but it is hard to say what they are (farmers, workers, insiders, modern people and so on. ).

summary

This paper first combs the meaning of current social identity, briefly expounds the construction of social identity on the basis of social classification and the difference between social identity and social adaptation, then briefly reviews the research on social stratification of migrant workers, from which we can see the overall position of the peasant class in the social structure, and finally summarizes the existing research status of social identity of migrant workers from the aspects of identity, professional identity, class identity, local (land) identity, institutional identity and gender identity.

References:

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A summary of the research on social identity of migrant workers

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