Ngai Pun

A very interesting look at young women (dagongmei) working in Chinese factories in Shenzhen, which is called the factory to Hong Kong's storefront. Pun worked in an electronics factory, where all the workers were women, but the managers were men. She explored, among other things, the cultural reasons for the girls leaving their home to work there, their goals, the way in which they were exploited and the cost of working there.

The girls were generally 16-22 and were encouraged to go to Shen Zhen by the rural families. The Houkou system, which was designed as a means of social control by the CCP, served to provide manufacturers with control over migrant labor because they could only stay if they had work. There were many more workers than jobs, so being fired could end your opportunities completely. Wages in Shenzhen earned more than the entire family could earn in the provinces, so even though conditions were harsh and hours were very long, manufacturing work provided an excellent opportunity to raise the family's economic status. In addition to the economic opportunity, girls went to Shenzhen because it was probably their only opportunity to live in the city. Some chose not to return to their village, but most used it as an opportunity to experience a different type of life before they settled into rural marriage.

This book is useful in any number of ways. I recommend it for anyone looking at rural-urban issues in China, globalization, gender issues in China, or economic reforms in China.… (altro)