The evolution in Chinese farmers' life since the foundation of the People's Republic of China

The life of Chinese farmers has changed enormously over the last 60 years. Nowadays, Chinese farmers are a minority part of the entire population. In the first 30 years after the foundation of the People's Republic of China (PRC), their income was too small for a living. In the succeeding 20 years, their material living standards have significantly improved whereas in the last decade, their income has stagnated. The social life of Chinese farmers has undergone revolution, politicization, collectivization, individualism and urbanization with synchronization, imbalance and disharmony. These changes as well as changes in technology and social forces were manipulated by authority. In the end, the Government has become a dominant part of the social landscape in China