Chinese Workers: A New History (Routledge Studies in Modern History of Asia, 2)

Jackie Sheehan traces the background and development of workers clashes with the Chinese Communist Party through mass campaigns such as the 1956-7 Hundred Flowers movement, the Cultural Revolution, the April Fifth Movement of 1976, Democracy Wall and the 1989 Democracy Movement. The author provides the most detailed and complete picture of workers protest in China to date and locates their position within the context of Chinese political history. Chinese Workers demonstrates that the image of Chinese workers as politically conformist and reliable supporters of the Communist Party does not match the realities of industrial life in China. Recent outbreaks of protest by workers are less of a departure from the past than is generally realized. Preliminaries......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Preface......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 1 Chinese labour under New Democracy', 1949–55......Page 24 2 Contradictions among the people, 1956–7......Page 58 3 Hard work and plain living', 1958–65......Page 96 4 To rebel is justified': workers in the Cultural Revolution 1966-69......Page 114 5 Long live the people': unrest and dissent, 1969–76......Page 150 6 Others are your masters': dissent, democracy and reform,1976-84......Page 167 7 Let the whole nation know the workers are organized', 1984-94......Page 206 8 Conclusion......Page 239 Notes......Page 245 Bibliography......Page 250 Index......Page 262 Social Sciences Preliminaries 1 Contents 6 Preface 8 Acknowledgements 10 Introduction 12 1 Chinese labour under New Democracy', 1949–55 24 2 Contradictions among the people, 1956–7 58 3 Hard work and plain living', 1958–65 96 4 To rebel is justified': workers in the Cultural Revolution 1966-69 114 5 Long live the people': unrest and dissent, 1969–76 150 6 Others are your masters': dissent, democracy and reform,1976-84 167 7 Let the whole nation know the workers are organized', 1984-94 206 8 Conclusion 239 Notes 245 Bibliography 250 Index 262 Traces the background and development of worekrs' clashes with the Chinese Communist Party through mass campaigns such as the 1956-7 Hundred Flowers movement, the Cultural Revolution, the April Fifth movement of 1976, Democracy Wall and the 1989 Democracy Movement Chinese Workers provides the most detailed and complete picture of workers' protest in China to date and locates their position within the context of Chinese political history. Jackie Sheehan. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [239]-250) And Index.