An Empirical Study About The Living States Of Peasant Workers In Nanjing

At the end of1980s, China was beginning to reform and opening, which boosted the development of China’s economy. With the development of economy, many rural surplus labors rushed into cities, who were called "peasant workers" in cities. Nowadays, the number of peasant workers is increasing with the deepening reform of economy and politics. Peasant workers have become an indispensable force in construction and development of cities, thus peasant workers have become an important factor which influence the speed of moderanization and urbanization in China.Due to the long-existing rural-urban dual structure in China, peasant workers are not treated as urban residents but still as peasants, despiting they live and work in cities. The jobs of peasant workers are almost suffering, dirty, exhausting or risky. Moreover, peasant workers suffer all kinds of discrimination in system, policy and culture. Peasant workers are still vulnerable groups in economic and social status. The differences between the contribution and the current living states of peasant workers not only injury social justice and equity, but also influence the enthusiasm of peasant workers to participate in development of cities. The difference may impede modernization and urbanization in China and injury the harmony and stablity of the whole society.In the present empirical study, a detailed questionnaire survey was performed. The survey subjects included320peasants workers in Nanjing, who were engaged in16different jobs and distributed in all11districts of Nanjing. The questionnaire covered8aspects:job, income, consume, habitation, social security, social communication, culture, self-feeling and willing to settle down. Based on the data from the survey, we analyzed the factors influencing the living states of peasant workers in Nanjing, including system factor, social factor and personal factor. Some policy suggetion and concrete measures were proposed to solve the issue of peasant workers in Nanjing.According to the survey results, peasant worker in Nanjing were faced to many difficulties:hard to find a job, instability of job, high labor intensity, high hidden danger, poor habitation and inconvience in many aspects. The phenomenon of different pay on the same work was common. Peasant workers were paid less on the same work compared with normal workers in Nanjing. Peasant workers were excluded from the securtiy system. They were not protected by social insurance and social welfare, and their work and daily life was not secured. Peasant workers were hardly merged into city society, because of the differences in economic status, ideological concept, educational level and living habits. Becasuse of low income, peasant workers barely had cultural entertainments, and they lived a simple and boring life besides work. Overall, peasant workers were a special group who were exclude from the city society. Peasant workers were living at the edge of city society. They made great contribution to city development, but they could not enjoy the achievements of city development.Through investigation and analysis, we found out the problems that peasant worker in Nanjing faced during they work and live in city. We hope our research could urge the government to be human-oriented and pay more attention to make and improve policies about peasant worker, consider the interests of peasant workers when make and implement the development plan of Nanjing. By doing these, the society, politics and economy of Nanjing would stably and thoroughly develop in harmony.