鸦片战争后，伴随着自然经济的解体以及近代工业的兴起，中国社会开始从传统向近代转型。近代社会转型为女佣这一群体的产生及壮大提供了条件。同时，女佣也深受社会转型的影响。因中国社会转型具有传统与近代并存的二元社会结构特征，一方面，女佣身上出现了一些符合社会变迁潮流的新动向，另一方面，女佣这一职业也受到社会转型所造成的冲击，承受着社会转型所带来的阵痛。而女佣也通过自身的发展推动着近代社会的转型。因此，本文试图通过对上海女佣的研究来透视这一时期上海社会的变迁。上海女佣主要来源于农村妇女。从地域范围来讲，则是以江浙为主，全国其他地区为辅。女佣进入上海后，一般通过熟人的介绍或荐头店的推介来寻找东家。因女佣年龄以及所从事具体家务劳动的差异,本文将其划分为四类：洗衣做饭的娘姨、做轻便杂活的大姐、照顾孩子的奶娘和专门为人梳头的梳头娘姨。女佣受雇于东家，两者之间为平等的雇佣关系。但由于女佣社会化程度不高，而不同的东家人品性情也有所差异，导致两者之间的雇佣关系复杂而又微妙。女佣走出家门，步入社会，生活的社会环境发生了巨大的变化，她们的生活方式和生活态度也随之转变。女佣开始自由出入公共场合，参加社会交际，追求时尚的衣着服饰，日常休闲娱乐生活逐渐丰富。她们的婚姻观念以及婚姻家庭关系也发生变化，开始突破传统婚姻的束缚，要求婚姻自由，对丈夫的依赖减弱，自我意识日益凸显。

After the Opium War, along with the disintegration of natural economy and the introduction of Western civilization, Chinese society from the traditional to modern transformation. As the product of the modern social transformation, the maid began to climb the stage of history.. At the same time, the maid is also influenced by social transformation. Because of China's social transformation with traditional and modern coexistence of dual social structure, on the one hand, maid appeared some conform to the new trend of social change trend, on the other hand, maid in the profession has also been social transformation caused by the impact, under social transformation brought about by the pains. The maid also through its own development to promote the transformation of modern society. Therefore, this paper tries to study the Shanghai maid in the Republic of China during the study to perspective Shanghai social changes in this period.Shanghai maid mainly from rural women. From the geographical area, is mainly to Jiangsu and Zhejiang, supplemented by other parts of the country. The maid in Shanghai, through the promotion of general acquaintance introduced or recommended first to find the shop owner. At the same time, because of maid age and are engaged in specific housework differences and will be divided into different categories, respectively is maidservant cleaning, washing, cooking, sister light chores, take care of children of the nai niang and specialized hair maidservant. The maid is hired by the employer, and the employment relationship is equal between of them.However, because the degree of socialization of the maid is not high, and the different club personality also have differences, resulting in the employment relationship between the two is complex and subtle.The maid walked out of the house, entered the society, the social environment of life has taken a tremendous change, their life style and attitude toward life changed. The maid began to free access to public places, to participate in social communication, the pursuit of fashion clothes, daily leisure and entertainment gradually rich. Their marriage ideas and marriage family relationship also change, began to break through the shackles of traditional marriage, marriage freedom, the dependence on the husband weakened, self-awareness increasingly prominent.