Abstract
Guangdong is the province one step faster in China, and Guangzhou is the city one step faster in Guangdong. As residents of one of the most economically advanced cities in China, Guangzhou citizens have generally experienced improved living standards and a better quality of life since the reform started in the late 1970s. But what is also true is that economic transformation, particularly the take-off of a market economy in the 1990s, has widened the income gap between different occupational groups. Unlike in the Mao era, in which workers serving in the state sector were a privileged class enjoying a high degree of job security and comprehensive welfare benefits, workers in the post-Mao period have found themselves in a disadvantageous position. Nowadays, state workers in mainland China complain about their declining living standard and the lowering of their social status, especially when compared with other occupational groups. The principal goal of this paper is to examine workers’ livelihood with particular reference to how Guangzhou workers perceive and evaluate their quality of life and social status. This paper is based upon on our recent fieldwork conducted in Guangzhou. More specifically, this paper is to discuss the significance of the study, on workers livelihood in mainland China.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Macau and its neighbors toward the 21st century : Proceedings of the international symposium organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences and humanities at the University of Macau 2-3 June 1997 |
| Editors | Rufino RAMOS, Rex WILSON, D. Y. YUAN, Jose ROCHA DINIS |
| Place of Publication | Macau |
| Publisher | Publications Center, University of Macau & Macau Foundation |
| Pages | 147-164 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9789729763199 |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 1998 |
| Externally published | Yes |
