ABSTRACT
The Cultural Revolution saw the unfolding of what political scientist Sidney Tarrow has termed a "cycle of protest". In the winter of 1966- 1967, a new type of labor association, neither rebel nor conservative in orientation, appeared on the Cultural Revolution scene. In addition to claims for monetary compensation—whether in the form of higher wages, subsidies, Cultural Revolution expenses, or shares of accumulated funds—workers demanded the right to unionize. The Cultural Revolution offered a convenient opportunity to appropriate residences in the name of "rebellion". Acts of confiscation were carried out by individuals or groups of individuals, usually in the name of the rebel faction at their work unit. Unlike either rebellion or conservatism, economism was in essence a protest against the socioeconomic inequities of the command economy. In contrast to rebel and conservative organizations, whose principal animus lay in criticizing or protecting party leaders, economistic associations represented a relatively apolitical and autonomous expression of worker concerns.
