References:

Summary of undergraduate professional literature

Title: Research summary of social identity of migrant workers

Last name: * * *

College: College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Specialty: Sociology

Class Level: Society 41

Student ID: 2214114

Instructor: Qu Yong Title: Lecture. Teacher

June 31, 2117

Academic Affairs Office System of Nanjing Agricultural University

Research Summary on Social Identity of Migrant Workers

Sociology student Wang Jiapeng

Instructor Qu Yong

Abstract: Since the reform and opening up, migrant workers have become a hot research issue in academic circles. Social stratification and social structure have always been the mainstream perspectives in the study of migrant workers, while objective social stratification is the main perspective in the study of social stratum of migrant workers. Because objective social stratification ignores the subjectivity of social actors, many scholars put forward another perspective of social stratification research, that is, the study of subjective identity of strata. In this paper, the definition of social identity, the study of social stratification of migrant workers, as well as identity, professional identity, local (land) identity, system identity and class identity are reviewed.

Keywords: migrant workers; Social identity; Social construction; Social stratification

a review of research on social identity of rural migrants

student major in sociology Wang Jia Peng

tutor Qu Yong

Abstract：Since the reform and opening, the study of peasant-works is a main subject. Social stratification and social structure is the mainstream perspective of most research of the rural m igrants, but the objective stratification is the main perspective of farmer social strata. Owing to the neglect of the subjectivity of agents, many scholars study the social stratification in another perspective, that is, subjective identity of strata. The paper reviews the concept of identity, the current study of peasant-workers social stratification, the study of social identity of peasant-workers, such as identity, professional identity, native (land) recognition, institutional identity, class identity.

Key words: rural migrants; social identity; social constructivism; Social proportionality

Introduction

Since the reform and opening up, great changes have taken place in China's class structure. Social structure transformation has become the knowledge of most researchers, and it is called "the other invisible hand" outside the market [1]3-18. Since the mid-1991s, under the background of resource accumulation, the bipolar society has become more obvious, and the bottom society dominated by farmers and migrant workers has gradually formed. [2]77-135

But for a long time, the research on the transformation of this class structure has been mainly based on objective stratification, especially the lack of understanding of the subjective meaning of migrant workers as one of the main groups at the bottom; In recent years, on the one hand, with the constant "practice and reflection" of researchers, the limitations of objective stratification research have gradually reached * * * knowledge [3], on the other hand, due to the prominent social adaptation or social integration of migrant workers, and at the same time, the country has paid more and more attention to class consciousness, especially the subjective identity of the bottom groups (the main aspect of class consciousness) [4]9-21, thus promoting the study of farmers' social identity. This paper summarizes the current research status of social identity of migrant workers.

1. Research on the definition of social identity

(1) Identity and social identity

Identity is a complicated and controversial concept. People define and explain it from different angles, such as its mechanism, function, behavior and dynamic mechanism. Generally speaking, it can be understood from three levels: First, identity is Secondly, identity is the result of social interaction; Thirdly, identity is a dynamic process. [5]31-31

Identity can be divided into self-identity and social identity. Self-identity refers to an individual's self-confirmation of his role and his perception of his position in a suitable structure. Social identity refers to the * * * identity of a group. On the one hand, self-identity is the identity under the condition of social identity, and self-identity without social identity does not exist; On the other hand, social identity exists in the self-identity of members of a certain group. From the perspective of the relationship between individuals and society, people's identity is a continuum composed of social identity and self-identity. [5]32-33

Custer believes that identity is the source of people's meaning and experience. According to the construction form and source of identity, he divides social identity into legitimacy identity, resistance identity and planning identity. The construction of these three identities leads to the emergence of civil society, identity and subject respectively. [6]6-11

Caster's division is a more general analysis of the construction process and results of different identities. This paper mainly summarizes the specific research status of social identity of migrant workers, and divides social identity into identity identity, professional identity, class identity, local (land) identity, institutional identity, gender identity and so on.

(II) Social classification and identity construction

Social life is complicated, and classification is a way of thinking for people to simplify life complexity and form social order. Classification is a way for us to know the world. When people classify the world, they also classify themselves. Classification also gives meaning to themselves and the world, and social identity is the recognition of social classification.

the most important classification is the distinction between people and me, that is, the distinction between "my group" and "other groups", which leads to group differences through the experience and continuous interaction of * * *, and the most important mechanism for the construction and maintenance of social group identity is exclusion and accommodation, which excludes people who are not in my group and accommodates people in my group, so as to construct our own identity world. This kind of recognition and accommodation usually has strong value and subjectivity. [7] [8]213-223 As far as migrant workers are concerned, we can see that urban residents exclude and accommodate them to varying degrees, and we can also see that migrant workers themselves exclude and accommodate them. It is this dual process that finally forms the subjective identity of migrant workers.

(3) Social identity and social adaptation

Social adaptation refers to the degree of integration of a group relative to the mainstream society. Social identity and social adaptation mainly have the following differences: first, the starting point is different. Social identity is mainly the recognition of the social belonging of the studied group, while social adaptation is the judgment of the society on the degree of integration of the studied group into the mainstream society; Second, the value is different. Social identity respects the subjective understanding of the studied group, and tries to be value neutral, so that the studied group can "speak" by itself. Social adaptation is the adaptation of the studied group to the mainstream society, which may also imply the appreciation of the mainstream society and the depreciation of the studied group. It is the researcher who "speaks" the studied group. Third, the purpose of research is different. The purpose of social identity research is to understand and explain the meaning of the studied group, while social adaptation often regards the studied group as a "problem" and its purpose is to solve the "problem" of the studied group constructed by itself.

second, migrant workers and social stratification

the basis of social identity is social classification, and the most important classification in the research field is social stratification, that is, social stratification according to different or comprehensive standards such as economic income, power and prestige. Therefore, in order to study the social identity of migrant workers, we must first understand their social belonging, and then their own subjective identity.

(1) Social stratification of migrant workers in social structure

Social stratification has always been a hot topic in sociological research, and every scholar will put forward his own objective stratification standard. However, although different scholars have different views on the current social structure types in China, no matter the pyramid structure, the inverted T-shaped structure [9] or the broken structure, they all think that there is a populous bottom society. [11]

Specifically, the position of migrant workers in the social structure can be analyzed from three standards of Weber's stratification: in terms of political status (power), due to the exclusion of the dual system such as household registration system, migrant workers are in a political marginal position; In terms of economic status (wealth), migrant workers are still in the bottom position because of the existence of two completely separate reward systems; In terms of social prestige, the professional prestige of migrant workers is very low. [11]4-9

The research group of "Research on Social Structure Changes in Contemporary China" of China Academy of Social Sciences divides China people into ten classes, while agricultural laborers and urban unemployed people are at the bottom. After the reform and opening up, farmers are divided into eight classes, including agricultural laborers, migrant workers, employees, farmers intellectuals, self-employed businessmen and private entrepreneurs, among which the number of migrant workers is large, and the proportion of each class has occurred since the 1991s. [12]169-184

(II) Limitations of objective social stratification research

This kind of stratification research mainly has the following limitations: First, it mainly focuses on static structural analysis, ignoring the formation process of migrant workers at the bottom of social structure, lacking timeliness and historical sense; Secondly, it is mainly the subjective understanding of researchers as objects, while ignoring the subjectivity of migrant workers as social actors, which is a kind of "discourse of the other"; Third, follow the scientism paradigm to pursue objective knowledge, while ignoring the subjective understanding and practical experience of migrant workers; Fourth, "test" the lives of migrant workers with professional knowledge, while ignoring the understanding of the meaning of migrant workers themselves, that is, they have not deeply understood and recognized the "local knowledge" of migrant workers.

It is precisely because the study of objective social stratification ignores the subjectivity as a social actor that some scholars study social stratification subjectively, and some even regard social identity as a new perspective of social stratification research. Zhou Xiaohong studied the social psychology of farmers earlier, but he mainly studied the process of farmers' modernity acquisition from the perspective of social psychology and social history, but did not discuss the social identity of migrant workers in the transitional period in detail. [13]4-9 Wang Chunguang's research found that there are many differences between the objective reality and subjective construction of social strata, which suggests that we must consider the influence of personal life and China system on the formation of class concept in the study of social strata. [14] Li Chunling's analysis shows that the degree of consistency of the identity of all classes is different. Generally speaking, the identity of the top and bottom classes is higher, while the middle class is relatively low. [15] Li Youmei, on the other hand, discussed the basic field of social identity, the structural evolution of social identity and the new ideas of social identity construction from a macro perspective, and proposed to build a "social self-adjustment system" to control the disorder of social identity. [16] [17]

IV. Study on the content and influencing factors of migrant workers' social identity

Social identity is a broad concept, and different scholars have mainly studied one or several aspects of it, including identity, professional identity, class identity, local (land) identity, institutional identity, gender identity and so on. Here we mainly discuss migrant workers from these aspects.

(1) Identity: Are migrant workers farmers or urban people?

Identity refers to the social identity of migrant workers as farmers or urban residents. The difference between farmers and urban residents is not only the difference in household registration, but also the difference in resource allocation and rights brought about by the household registration system. Therefore, farmers here are not a profession relative to industrial workers but a social identity relative to urban residents. Many scholars believe that the term migrant workers has become the third identity coexisting with farmers and urban residents.

Chen Yingfang believes that "migrant workers", as a third identity coexisting with "farmers" and "urban residents", is the product of the co-construction of various systems and cultures in China in the past 21 years, which ultimately makes the "migrant workers" who left the countryside and changed their status as farmers unable to obtain the status of "urban residents" in cities. On the one hand, the construction of the identity of "migrant workers" provides legitimacy or legitimacy for various systems and the identity advantages of "urban residents" stipulated by them; On the other hand, the "migrant workers" are treated differently in cities, resulting in a sense of relative deprivation, and they agree with this unfair "migrant worker identity" for the purpose of self-protection. Therefore, the problem of migrant workers is not only the protection of migrant workers' rights and interests, but also the issue of civil rights. [18] Tang Bin specifically studied the process of the formation of migrant workers' identity. Under the opposite and different outward thrust of urban and rural areas, migrant workers tend to identify themselves.