Discursive Dyslexia and the Articulation of Class: A Theoretical Perspective on China’s Young Female Migrant Workers (Dagongmei)

On 19 November 1993, a major fire engulfed a Hong Kong (香港)-invested toy factory in Shenzhen (深圳). The factory was subcontracted to process the products of a certain famous European toy brand. Over eighty workers lost their lives in this fire, whilst over fifty people were left with severe burns, and more than twenty people suffered minor injuries. This tragedy shook the international community. It also caused a great uproar within China, as if it was the first time since the Reform and Opening (改革开放) that China had suffered serious injury at the hands of global capital. Only now, the mass media also seemed to have suddenly become aware of the heavy price being paid by migrant workers for China’s rapid economic development. This major fire etched a permanent scar into Chinese society’s dream of modernity, which is characterized with a deep belief in capital and in the modern market. The process of seeking modernity has to it a restlessness fuelled by both hope and longing, whilst at the same time, it is rife with the evils of development. During this process, there at the bottom of the heap, the sacrifice of the working class is viewed as necessary for development.