From “Barefoot Electrician” to “Electronic Supervisor”
Hongzhe Wang, Changwen Chen · 2025
This chapter embarks on a historical journey through China's Information and Communication Technology industry, delving into the intricate relationship between technology and labor politics during pivotal periods in Chinese history. It explores the development and evolution of the electronic computer industry, spanning from the Cultural Revolution to the post-Cultural Revolution era, tracing the technological advancements, national policies, and ideological constructs within the Chinese electronic computer industry. Electronic computers are not merely viewed as practical tools for revolution and construction, but also as cultural symbols. In the story of female textile workers becoming barefoot electricians, we can see the effort to reunite the process of “separation.” By 1984, the microcomputer detection system had been installed in textile enterprises in Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Hebei, Sichuan, and other provinces and cities. Textile workers referred to these computerized systems as “Electronic Supervisors”.