Hunan Women Workers Problem

Disturbances caused during the recruitment of female workers in Hunan Province by the Shanghai Housheng Cotton Mill during the 1920s is an example of social conflict which was ignited by labor issues. Although debates surrounding the issue of Hunan female workers didn’t last long, they are highly representative of the myriad viewpoints of different social classes. By analyzing various opinions, we may trace the patterns of heated discussion and debate on important social issues between theorists and industrialists during the early Republican era. Moreover, we may focus on exploring the roles of intellectuals during this generation, in addition to further contextualizing the development and settlement of labor (and other) social issues.Thus, this thesis analyzes issues related to Hunan female workers as an entry point to examine various labor disputes. It begins by exploring the social background of the event, creating a context for readers tobetter understand the central issues and debate. Furthermore, this thesis attempts to illustrate the whole course of the debate in detail, introducing insights on the opinions and reasons behind the opinions of various parties, with particular attention paid to intellectuals. The thesis then explores ideological trends of Republic era thinkers, providing new materials and angles for the reader to better understand the influences on early intellectuals within society during the Republic of China era.