Made In China Summary

1097 Words5 Pages
Made in China was written by Pun Gnai, a professor from social science department at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. This book portrays how globalization and industrial revolution impact Chinese migrant workers, especially female workers. In order to get the most accurate information, Pun stayed and worked as a regular worker. She obtained information that she did not expect when she interviewed the workers. She observed how migrant workers live and work in the factory, as well as the struggles that they have to face everyday. As China is trying to develop its country to the world’s factory, their rural migrant workers have to face poverty, the inequality of social class, and capitalist exploitation. She discovered many…show more content…
Hukou system is a household registration required by law in People’s Republic of China. This system is created when the east coast of China was rapidly developed, leaving other parts of the country underdeveloped. People flocked to the Eastern, hoping they would have a better life there. At first, the system seemed to give more benefits than loss. Gradually, the problem started to occur. Rural migrants cannot receive social services, such as health care and housing, while they are working in a city. This system brings inequality to society and divides people into two levels of citizenship. In Made in China, Pun also brings up the impact of Hukou system as she mentions that most of the worker were from rural areas and “were hired as temporary labor”. They “sell their labor to the factories”, but have “no right to stay permanently where they worked” (36). This speaks to the difficulties that Hukou system put rural migrant workers in. No matter how hard they try, the vicious circle is still there, because these workers have low income, and the living cost in urban areas is extremely high. Nowadays, this household registration system is still used to control the movement of immigrants. The benefit is it balances the population and make the country develops as a whole, but also brings inequality to the

More about Made In China Summary

Open Document