中国成衣业中的外来工：适应性与机会

Immigrant workers in the garment industry of China:Flexibilities and opportunities

对中国成衣生产环境与外来工在其中所扮演的角色提出疑问。这里的外来工并不是指外国劳工,而是从中国境内穷乡僻壤来到经济比较发达地区的外来工。不过两者之间仍存有某些相同的特质,例如,他们都渴望在社会上出人头地,同时也是各种歧视行为的受害者。本研究假设是:就算在中国从事成衣业的外来工和在其他国家的一样,同样在艰难的工作环境里赚取微薄的工资,但他们并不只是雇用制度下逆来顺受的受害者。取材于在浙江省义乌市努力拼搏的三个兄弟姐妹的人生轨迹和故事,他们的职业生涯与由中小型家族企业构成的成衣业行业特点密切相关。

This paper questions the production environment of the Chinese garment industry and the role played by immigrant workers. Immigrant workers refer to those migrating within China frorn poor remote areas to more advanced cities, rather than foreign workers. However, they share something in common such as a desire for upward social status and their exposure to various discrimina-tions. The paper assumes that. although in China as elsewhere, garment work-ers work in difficuh conditions for low wages, they are not simply passive vic-tims of an oppressive employment system. This contribution is based on the life trajectory of three sihlings, met in Yiwu, Zhejiang province. Their professional paths are closely related to the characteristics of the garment industry which is composed of a multitude of small and medium-sized family businesses.