Memory, Experience And Social Media:Pop Music And The Subjectivity Of New Generation Migrant Workers In Xiaokang Village

This thesis aims at questing the meaning of popular music to new generation migrant workers and intends to mark a footnote for their subjectivity and dignity. In order to make a better field research, the author spent several months in a textile factory located in Xiaokang Village, Guli town, Changsu. Suzhou City, in which he veritably experienced, lived and observed new generation migrant workers’ lives in on-site workshop, in temporary living quarters as well as in local night fair, meanwhile, he traced for various manifestations of popular music in the environment of such life.The in-person journey of life there witnessed the formation of knowledge of how do the new generation migrant workers dispose of the transmission, sharing and consumption of popular music in their real life and what role does popular music play in their construction of private space, expression of emotions and memories. Or, this real experience educated the author that the meaning of popular, by initial sense, are endowed by this group, who combines music with disembeded space however mentally bind land, associates self-cognition with their work, marriage and passed lives, and connects with the vicissitudes of life styles resulted from transformations of advanced technology. Under this circumstance, the ups and downs of this group are mixed and composed into a sound pool of Revolution songs, Taiwan and Honkong pops, Internet songs and Agricultural Metal.In conclusion, this thesis, through restoration of this group’s subjectivity manifested in the process of transmitting and consuming popular music, not only criticizes the preset Urban Centrism, Producer Centrism and Product Fetishism in previous studies, but also lashes the current tendency of depreciating the subjective initiative of the group in labor researches.As a matter of fact, the author intends to truthfully present the music life of the new generation migrant workers, fighting for the silent fact that they are being exploited and ignored, proving for the truth that they are not the revolt group after the wake of class consciousness, however, defining the status quo that they are blood and flesh who are constantly striving for colorful life.