Abstract
This chapter discusses the third pillar of the psychic trap for labor movement—workers’ fragmented sense solidarity. It seeks to analyze several psychic factors underpinning a divided working class. Diminishing social trust amongst fellow workers is one of the fundamental obstacles that affect Chinese labor activism. The chapter goes on to examine, from a psychic perspective, why workers are risk-averse and unwilling to participate in collective industrial action. It then discusses workers’ unusual reaction to the loss of their leaders, as well as their sense of coalition building with other marginalized groups. Workers and activists’ differing sense of solidarity is highlighted throughout the chapter. Workers psychic state of solidarity is further explored in the case of Foowah factory in Shenzhen, where workers tried to organize a strike to protect their rights.
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Lin, J. (2020). Fragmented Solidarity. In: Chinese Politics and Labor Movements. Politics and Development of Contemporary China. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23902-2_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23902-2_6
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