Research on the Social Mentality of Urban Poor Groups in Traditional Industrial Zones

Abstract

The article selects urban poor groups in Northeast China as the research object, and conducts a questionnaire survey on urban poor groups. The questionnaire survey selects three cities in Northeast China: Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province; Shenyang City, Liaoning Province; and Siping City, Jilin Province for face-to-face interviews. There were a total of 957 valid questionnaires returned. By investigating variables such as life satisfaction, community satisfaction, social trust, social alienation, and social participation, we analyzed their social mentality. Through the data analysis of the questionnaire regarding social groups in Northeast China, it can be found that economic system reform has made a large number of workers unemployed. Most of these people live in poverty after being unemployed, their living conditions are relatively backward, their economic status is low, their education level is low, and their society lacks resources. The interests of urban poor groups have been seriously damaged, which has brought a certain negative impact on their social mentality. This has led to dissatisfaction with vested interests and distrust of government agencies at all levels. Such mistrust may cause the disadvantaged to choose relatively extreme ways to seek help. This has laid hidden dangers for the stability of the society, and it is also not conducive to the harmonious and healthy development of society. The investigation of social mentality is to try to verify some hypotheses in future research. Is there such a possibility that there is a certain correlation between people’s subjective mentality and their poverty level? Does the distribution of resources in the objective world lead to poverty, which then has an impact on people’s social mentality, and this influence further leads to the reproduction of poverty? Is there merit to the inference that a certain or a few social mentalities directly or indirectly produce poverty? These are questions worthy of research and proof.