Chinese Journal of Sociology ›› 2021, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (4): 69-95.

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The Combination of Local and Non-Local Labor: A Sociological Study on the Employment Mechanism of External Capital in the Countryside

CHEN Hangying   

  1. Department of Sociology, School of Philosophy and Government, Shaanxi Normal University
  • Published:2021-07-22
  • Supported by:
    This paper is sponsored by "A Study on the Interactive Relationship Between the New Subjects of Agriculture and Rural Society"(19XJC840001), funded by the Humanities and Social Science Research Youth Fund Western and Frontier Region Project of Ministry of Education, PRC.

Abstract: Taking the cabbage industry as a case study, this paper explores the employment mechanism of inflow capital in the countryside. The study finds that the large-scal e vegetable farms established by external investment adopt an employment model of "combination of local and non-local labor", in which non-local labor forms the major labor force while locals are used as supplements. The formation of this employment model is not due to the shortage of local labor but a result of the interaction and adjustment of external capital and rural society. The influence of rural society on external capital can be explored from the aspects of internal management and external environment. In terms of employment practices, the use of local labors enables the vegetable farms to connect with the rural society in the external environment but also brings potential issues of international management difficulties. The underlying reason is the conflict between the economic logic of the capital and the family livelihood logic of rural society. The specialized non-local laborers with rural background are just the right answer to the employment difficulties at the internal management because they are seen by locals as fellow rural townsmen. Therefore, this employment model including local and non-local labor has worked for the relationship between external capital and rural society. More importantly, this mode of employment reveals that, rather than ignoring the latter, the economic logic of capital must be based on the rural logic when capital goes to the countryside. It is in this sense that this paper argues that the employment mechanism of external capital is not a simple problem of labor supply and demand, but a complicated social process of outside investment and its relationship with the rural society.

Key words: capital goes into the countryside, employment mechanism, rural society, rural logic