The Comparison Of China's Migrant Workers Reference Group Selection And Social Conflict Intention: Theory And Empirical Evidence

The rapid development of urbanization and industrialization in China causes the scale of Migrant workers expanding gradually. This group generates a significant implication for the society economic growth. This paper based on the perspective of comparative reference group, to study the relationship between comparative reference group and social conflict behavior and willness. This study suggests that, along with the rapid development of urbanization and industrialization in China, Migrant workers’ comparative reference group shifts from a village reference group to a city reference group, and this change will enhance their social conflict behavior and willness, bring about adverse impact on the society economic growth.We done a research about the migrant workers at2011, mainly focus on their state and their cognitive attitude about their status. And I use structural equation model examine the relationship between comparative reference group and social conflict behavior and willness. The results show that when their comparative reference group retaining a village reference group, their social conflict behavior and willness is not strong, but when their reference group change, closing to the city reference group, it has positive effect because of relative deprivation. The discrepancy and deprivation rise their conflict behavior and willness.We also found that, increase education, the availability of referent information, and the number and the new generation migrant workers influence an individual’s choice of comparative referent. The improvement of education means higher Migrant workers’ professional skills, and the second generation migrant workers are significantly different from the elder one, economic no longer satisfied with their requirements, they are eager to enter the city, to be a part of that. These migrant workers’characteristics variable affect the choice of their comparative reference group, from a village reference group turn to a city reference group. And this trend has positive effect on migrant workers’social conflict behavior and willness, enhances their relative deprivation, adds social conflict between them and other social groups.This paper suggests that, first, it is imperative to eliminate the institutional discrimination through system revolution, improve migrant workers’economic and social status. Meanwhile, The government should consider the change of their comparative reference group. The improvement of the status of the group not only an absolute improvement, but also should stronger than the improvement of the relative deprivation, which caused by the change of their comparative reference group.