Factory Girls
Questions

1. Leslie Chang's description of life in Dongguan is clearly one based on the notion of "supply-and-demand." What factors do you think attracted the factory workers to a place like Dongguan? (One should press beyond the idea of simply a job, salary or work -- these are available elsewhere as well). Conversely, what skills, attributes or characteristics are the factories looking for in their workers?

2. Relationships are a key thread that is present throughout Factory Girls: friendship, relatives, familial, romantic. How are such relationship central to Min and Chunming in particular? How does their life in Dongguan alter what one might suggest are "normal" relationships (perhaps you should begin by describing what "normal" is outside of Dongguan).

3. One of the hardest elements to equate when comparing employment in the United States with that in China is the question of salary. All too often it is simply converted into US dollars with no explanation (and the implicit meaning being that the workers are underpaid). According to Min and Chunming what is a "low," "medium" and "desirable" salary? What else was included in their salaries (or considered important factors in whether to "jump" to another factory?).

4. What is the non-work life like for the typical workers we encounter in Factory Girls? How do friendships, romances, and relationships evolve (and devolve)? (A related issue is how you might describe the "dating scene" in Dangguan).

5. Leslie Chang says that the parents of migrants "at every stage . . . gave bad advice, they specialized in outdated knowledge and conservatism born out of fear." Do you agree? How would you describe the workers conflicted emotions about their home?

Interested in a little QQ Love?

This one claims to be so handsome,
With a good heart, and well-behaved
Asking how old I am this year
And how many one-night stands I've had
Scaring me speechless
What kind of E-era is this?
Hurry up and tell him "bye-bye"
Oh! QQ Love
Real or false, who can guess?