Proletarian China: A Century of Chinese Labour

The Chinese Communist Party has celebrated a century of existence, claiming to represent the vanguard of the Chinese working class. This book reconstructs the contentious history of labor in China from the early twentieth century to this day through a series of essays by scholars in the field of Chinese society, politics, and culture.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 720 pages
Publication date: 07 June 2022
Publisher: Verso Books

The Chinese Communist Party marked a significant milestone in 2021, celebrating a century of existence. Since its humble beginnings in the Marxist groups of the Republican era, the Party has evolved and expanded its global ambitions. However, one constant theme has remained for China's leaders: their claim to represent the vanguard of the Chinese working class. This book aims to reconstruct the contentious history of labor in China from the early twentieth century to the present day.

Spanning a century of events, this book will be achieved through a series of essays penned by scholars in the field of Chinese society, politics, and culture. Each essay will focus on a specific historical event, providing a mosaic of different voices, perspectives, and interpretations of what it meant to be a worker in China over the past century.

The contributors to this book come from various backgrounds and fields, including history, sociology, and political science. They bring a wealth of expertise and knowledge to the table, offering unique insights into the complex and multifaceted history of labor in China.

The book will cover a wide range of topics, from the night classes for workers organized by student activists in Beijing in the 1910s to the labor struggles during the 1920s and 1930s, from the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution to the social convulsions of the reform era, and from China's global push today. Each chapter will provide a comprehensive analysis of the historical events and their impact on the lives of workers in China.

One of the key themes of the book will be the evolution of the Chinese labor movement. From its early roots in Marxist ideology, the labor movement has undergone significant changes over the years. It has faced challenges and setbacks, but has also adapted and evolved to meet the changing needs of the Chinese working class.

Another important theme will be the role of the Chinese Communist Party in shaping the history of labor in China. The Party has played a central role in shaping labor policies, labor laws.

Dimension: 234 x 153 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781839766336