Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Aging Welfare and Social Policy pp 169–209Cite as

Social Organisations and Old Age Services in Urban Communities in China: Stabilising Networks?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: International Perspectives on Aging ((Int. Perspect. Aging,volume 20))

Abstract

In recent years, China has experienced rapidly increasing demand for old age care and relevant services for elderly people, as a result of the rapid growth in China’s older population (Peng, 2013). According to the 2015 Social Service Development Statistical Communique (Ministry of Civil Affairs, 2016), by the end of 2015, China’s population aged 60 and over had reached 222 million—equivalent to 16.1% of the total population. Further, the population aged 65 and over had reached 143.86 million—about 10.5% of the total population. According to an estimate by Hu and Yang (2012), the actual old age dependency ratio reached 5:1 by 2012, which is a greater level of dependency than the 8:1 estimated by the official statistics. This ratio will reach 3.5:1 by 2020. According to the estimate of the 2013 Human Development Report of China (UNDP China, 2013a, 2013b), by the end of 2011, some 9.1% of Chinese people were older than 65. According to this report’s estimate, this figure will rise to 18.2% by 2030—higher than in most industrialised countries. In addition to the demographic changes, China’s old age care services are challenged by the country’s changing social and economic situations. As the overall income increases, older people’s lifestyles and demand for cultural activities are also different to those of the past. Older people have begun to demand more convenient, more varied and higher quality services and facilities. These changes have created serious challenges for the existing old age care system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    In this chapter, we treat the bureaucratic system as a type of formal network. This is because old age services, although limited in the past, always needed inter-professional or inter-sectoral collaboration. In this sense, if we examine these services at the local level, they are an extreme form of a formal network that is governed by a professional body (the higher authorities).

  2. 2.

    As agreed with the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, we used some of the information gathered (from Shanghai and Chengdu) for an earlier project in order to offer more variety to the types of locations examined in this research. Our main report includes more detailed discussion of these six places and the criteria used to select them as the research sites.

  3. 3.

    The Chinese old age care services have several types of ‘beds’: hospital beds, residential home beds, community residential care beds, and daycare centre beds. In daycare centres, ‘beds’ refer to facilities where older people can rest during the day.

References

  • Aldrich, D. P. (2016). Site fights: Divisive facilities and civil society in Japan and the West. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Antrobus, P. (1987). Funding for NGOs: Issues and options. World Development, 15, 95–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bian, F., Logan, J. R., & Bian, Y. (1998). Intergenerational relations in urban China: Proximity, contact, and help to parents. Demography, 35(1), 115–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boychuk, T. (2007). Big society, small government. Macalester International, 18(1), 17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buffel, T., & Phillipson, C. (2012). Ageing in urban environments: Developing ‘age-friendly’ cities. Critical Social Policy, 32(4), 597–617.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Everingham, J. A., Petriwskyj, A., Warburton, J., Cuthill, M., & Bartlett, H. (2009). Information provision for an age-friendly community. Ageing International, 34(1–2), 79–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feng, Z., Liu, C., Guan, X., & Mor, V. (2012). China’s rapidly aging population creates policy challenges in shaping a viable long-term care system. Health Affairs, 31(12), 2764–2773.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fitzgerald, K. G., & Caro, F. G. (2014). An overview of age-friendly cities and communities around the world. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 26(1–2), 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flaherty, J. H., Liu, M. L., Ding, L., Dong, B., Ding, Q., Li, X., et al. (2007). China: The aging giant. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 55(8), 1295–1300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilroy, R. (2008). Places that support human flourishing: Lessons from later life. Planning Theory & Practice, 9(2), 145–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green, G. (2013). Age-friendly cities of Europe. Journal of Urban Health, 90(1), 116–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • hans Klijn, E. (1996). Analyzing and managing policy processes in complex networks a theoretical examination of the concept policy network and its problems. Administration & Society, 28(1), 90–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He, A. J., & Huang, G. (2015). Fighting for Migrant Labour Rights in the World’s Factory: Legitimacy, resource constraints and strategies of grassroots migrant labour NGOs in South China. Journal of Contemporary China, 24(93), 471–492.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hean, S., & Smith, S. (2013). Interprofessional collaboration when working with older people. Caring for older people in nursing, 191.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hesketh, T., Lu, L., & Xing, Z. W. (2005). The effect of China’s one-child family policy after 25 years. New England Journal of Medicine, 353(11), 1171–1176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt de Alcántara, C. (1998). Uses and abuses of the concept of governance. International Social Science Journal, 50(155), 105–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howell, J. (2012). Civil society, corporatism and capitalism in China. Journal of Comparative Asian Development, 11(2), 271–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu, J. Y., & Hasmath, R. (2014). The local corporatist state and NGO relations in China. Journal of Contemporary China, 23(87), 516–534.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, N., & Yang, Y. (2012). The real old-age dependency ratio and the inadequacy of public pension finance in China. Journal of Population Ageing, 5(3), 193–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, X., Zhang, Z., & Li, Y. (2007). Community care diabetic foot (Tángniàobìng zú de shèqū hùlǐ). Journal of Practical Medical Techniques (Shíyòng yī jì zázhì), 14(21), 2959–2960.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huixia, Z., & Lingwei, J. (2011). Research on the governance mechanism of venture capital network. Journal on Innovation and Sustainability, 2(2). RISUS ISSN 2179-3565.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jing, Y., & Besharov, D. J. (2014). Collaboration among government, market, and society: Forging partnerships and encouraging competition. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 33(3), 835–842.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johansson, R., & Borell, K. (1999). Central steering and local networks: Old-age care in Sweden. Public Administration, 77(3), 585–598.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johansson, L., Sundström, G., & Hassing, L. B. (2003). State provision down, offspring’s up: The reverse substitution of old-age care in Sweden. Ageing and Society, 23(03), 269–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, S. (2015). NGOs and social protection in East Asia: Korea, Thailand and Indonesia. Asian Journal of Political Science, 23(1), 23–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kröger, T. (2011). Retuning the Nordic welfare municipality: Central regulation of social care under change in Finland. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 31(3/4), 148–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Le Bihan, B., & Martin, C. (2006). A comparative case study of care systems for frail elderly people: Germany, Spain, France, Italy, United Kingdom and Sweden. Social Policy and Administration, 40(1), 26–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, P. (2013). Reform and future social organization system in China (Wǒguó shèhuì zǔzhī tǐzhì de gǎigé hé wèilái). Society (Shèhuì), 3(1), 10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, B. (2014). Social pension unification in an urbanising China: Paths and constraints. Public Administration and Development, 34(4), 281–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, B., Huikuri, S., Zhang, Y., & Chen, W. (2015). Motivating intersectoral collaboration with the Hygienic City Campaign in Jingchang, China. Environment and Urbanization, 27(1), 285–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, B., & Shin, H. B. (2013). Intergenerational housing support between retired old parents and their children in urban China. Urban Studies, 50(16), 3225–3242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberthal, K. (1995). Governing China: From revolution through reform (p. 356). New York: WW Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Z. (2006). On urban people’s commune (Chéngshì rénmín gōngshè shù lùn). Changbai Journal (Zhǎngbái xué kān), 3, 96–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, C. (2013). Chapter 6: Community governance and elite activism in urban China. In Elites and governance in China (p. 94).

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, X., Song, Y., Wu, K., Wang, J., Li, D., & Long, Y. (2015). Understanding urban China with open data. Cities, 47, 53–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lowndes, V., & Pratchett, L. (2012). Local governance under the coalition government: Austerity, localism and the ‘Big Society’. Local Government Studies, 38(1), 21–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lui, C. W., Everingham, J. A., Warburton, J., Cuthill, M., & Bartlett, H. (2009). What makes a community age-friendly: A review of international literature. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 28(3), 116–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo, Z. (1959). People’s commune and family Issues (Rénmín gōngshè yǔ jiātíng wèntí). Academic Monthly (Xuéshù yuèkān), 2, 25–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lv, J. (2012). A survey of institutionalised old age care services in Zhejiang Province (Zhèjiāng shěng jīgòu yǎnglǎo fúwù xiànzhuàng de diàochá yánjiū). Master Thesis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Madhavan, R., Koka, B. R., & Prescott, J. E. (1998). Networks in transition: How industry events (re) shape interfirm relationships. Strategic Management Journal, 19(5), 439–459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mays, G. P., Halverson, P. K., & Kaluzny, A. D. (1998). Collaboration to improve community health: trends and alternative models. Joint Commission on Quality Improvement, 24(10), 518–540.

    Google Scholar 

  • McLeod, E., Bywaters, P., Tanner, D., & Hirsch, M. (2008). For the sake of their health: Older service users’ requirements for social care to facilitate access to social networks following hospital discharge. British Journal of Social Work, 38, 73–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Civil Affairs. (2013). 2013 Social Service Development Statistical Communique (2013 Nián shèhuì fúwù fāzhǎn tǒngjì gōngbào), Social organizations Site (Shèhuì zǔzhī wǎngzhàn). Retrieved September 14, 2016, from HTTP://www.chinanpo.gov.cn/2201/79542/yjzlkindex.html

  • Ministry of Civil Affairs. (2015). Old age service should be primarily home-based and community based (Yǎnglǎo fúwù yè yǐ jiātíng hé shèqū yǎnglǎo wéi zhǔ). Retrieved September 15, 2016, from http://www.ailaoweb.com/News/information/2556.html

  • Ministry of Civil Affairs. (2016). 2015 Social Service Development Statistical Communique (2015 Nián shèhuì fúwù fāzhǎn tǒngjì gōngbào). Retrieved from http://www.mca.gov.cn/article/sj/tjgb/201607/20160700001136.shtml

  • National Health and Family Planning Commission. (2015). Chinese Family Development Report, 2015 (Zhtional jiiiona ffiion bbiion, 2015), China Population Publishing House (Zh2015), rr2015 chh015 shh.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ngok, K. L., & Huang, G. (2014). Policy paradigm shift and the changing role of the state: The development of social policy in China since 2003. Social Policy and Society, 13(02), 251–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OXFAM. (2014). Chinese rural women in poverty reduction: Summary and outlook (Zhōngguó nóngcūn fùnǚ jiǎn pín gàikuàng jí zhǎnwàng). China Development Brief. Retrieved April 25, 2015, from HTTP://www.chinadevelopmentbrief.org.cn/news-16680.html

  • Pei, X. (2004). The development and issues of long term care services for cities with aging population (Lǎonián xíng chéngshì chángqí zhàohù fúwù de fāzhǎn jí qí wèntí). Urban Mangement (Chéngshì guǎnlǐ), 36, 36–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pei, X. (2009). Society’s support for the aged in China: A cultural perspective. Social Sciences in China, 30(1), 149–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng, X. (2013). China’s demographic challenge requires an integrated coping strategy. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 32(2), 399–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phillipson, C. (2011). Developing age-friendly communities: New approaches to growing old in urban environments. In Handbook of sociology of aging (pp. 279–293). New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Plouffe, L. A., & Kalache, A. (2011). Making communities age friendly: State and municipal initiatives in Canada and other countries. Gaceta Sanitaria, 25, 131–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Provan, K. G., & Kenis, P. (2008). Modes of network governance: Structure, management, and effectiveness. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 18(2), 229–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Provan, K. G., Kenis, P., & Human, S. E. (2008). Legitimacy building in organizational networks. In Big ideas in collaborative public management (pp. 121–137).

    Google Scholar 

  • Provan, K. G., & Lemaire, R. H. (2012). Core concepts and key ideas for understanding public sector organizational networks: Using research to inform scholarship and practice. Public Administration Review, 72(5), 638–648.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rhodes, R. A. (2007). Understanding governance: Ten years on. Organization Studies, 28(8), 1243–1264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sandhu, S., Bebbington, A., & Netten, A. (2006). The influence of individual characteristics in the reporting of home care services quality by service users. Research Policy and Planning, 24(1), 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spires, A. J. (2011). Contingent symbiosis and civil society in an authoritarian state: Understanding the survival of China’s grassroots NGOs1. American Journal of Sociology, 117(1), 1–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • State Council. (2001). China aging development agenda during the “15th Plan” (Zhōngguó lǎolíng shìyè fāzhǎn 「shíwǔ」 jìhuà gāngyào). Retrieved April 25, 2015, from HTTP://www.people.com.cn/GB/shizheng/19/20010813/534181.html

  • State Council (2006). Whitepaper Book of Development of Ageing Affairs in China, http://www.china.com.cn/policy/txt/2006-12/12/content_7493224.htm

  • Steels, S. (2015). Key characteristics of age-friendly cities and communities: A review. Cities, 47, 45–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stepan, M., & Müller, A. (2012). Welfare governance in China? A conceptual discussion of governing social policies and the applicability of the concept to contemporary China. Journal of Cambridge Studies, 7(4), 54–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, R. E., & O’Brien, K. J. (2012). Politics at the boundary mixed signals and the Chinese State. Modern China, 38(2), 174–198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swann, W. W. & J. L. Morgan (1992). Collaborating for Comprehensive Services for Young Children and their Families – The Local Interagency Coordinating Council. Maryland: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teets, J. C. (2013). Let many civil societies bloom: The rise of consultative authoritarianism in China. The China Quarterly, 213, 19–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UK Urban Ageing Consortium. (2014). A research & evaluation framework for age-friendly cities. Retrieved from HTTP://www.micra.manchester.ac.uk/medialibrary/A%20Research%20and%20Evaluation%20Framework%20for%20Age-friendly%20Cities_web%20version.pdf

  • UNDP China. (2013a). China National Human Development Report 2013—Sustainable and liveable cities: Toward ecological civilization. Beijing: UNDP.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNDP China. (2013b). 2013 Human Development Report. Retrieved from HTTP://www.cn.undp.org/content/dam/china/docs/Publications/UNDP-CH-HD-Publication-NHDR_2013_CN_final.pdf

  • van Campen, C., & van Gameren, E. (2005). Eligibility for long-term care in The Netherlands: Development of a decision support system. Health and Social Care in the Community, 13(4), 287–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, D., & Xie, L. (2013). Chapter 5: Supply of community old age care (Dì wǔ zhāng shèqū yǎnglǎo zhàohù de gōngjǐ). In The status quo and development strategy of old age care for older people in community (Shèqū lǎonián rénkǒu yǎnglǎo zhāohū xiànzhuàng yǔ fāzhǎn duìcè) (pp. 156–157). Xiamen University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiner, B. J., Alexander, J. A., & Zuckerman, H. S. (2000). Strategies for effective management participation in community health partnerships. Health Care Management Review, 25(3), 48–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO. (2014). How to make cities more age-friendly? Retrieved from HTTP://agefriendlyworld.org/en/age-friendly-in-practice/guiding-principles/

  • World Health Organization. (2013). What is active ageing? Retrieved from HTTP://www.who.int/ageing/active_ageing/en/

  • Xiong, Y. (2014). The construction of social welfare system and development in social governance and practices in contemporary China (Xióngyuègēn. (2014). Xīn shíqí wǒguó shèhuì fúlì zhìdù de jiàngòu yǔ shèhuì zhìlǐ shíjiàn de fǎ zhǎn). Social Work and Management (Shèhuì gōngzuò yù guǎnlǐ), 14(A01), 8–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan, M. C., & Gao, J. G. (2007). Social engineering of community building: Examination of policy process and characteristics of community construction in China. Community Development Journal, 42(2), 222–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, H. (2014). Chapter 4: Responsibilities of the government, society and households in old age care (Dì sì zhāng zhèngfǔ, shèhuì jí jiātíng zài yǎnglǎo fúwù zhōng de zérèn jièdìng). In Home based care for older people—the experience of Hangzhou (Jūjiā yǎnglǎo fúwù shūsòng jīzhì yánjiū—jīyú hángzhōu de jīngyàn) (p. 41). Zhejiang University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Y., & Goza, F. W. (2006). Who will care for the elderly in China?: A review of the problems caused by China’s one-child policy and their potential solutions. Journal of Aging Studies, 20(2), 151–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhong, Y. (2003). Local government and politics in China: Challenges from below. ME Sharpe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhong, Y. (2015). Local Government and Politics in China: Challenges from below: Challenges from below. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia

    Bingqin Li

  2. Social Policy Research Centre, Institute of Sociology Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China

    Lijie Fang & Jing Wang

  3. London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK

    Bo Hu

Authors
  1. Bingqin Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lijie Fang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jing Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bo Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Sociology of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China

    Tian-kui Jing

  2. Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Stein Kuhnle

  3. Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China

    Yi Pan

  4. Public Administration/Social Policy, Pace University, New York, NY, USA

    Sheying Chen

  5. Center for Social Work Study, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

    Sheying Chen

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Li, B., Fang, L., Wang, J., Hu, B. (2019). Social Organisations and Old Age Services in Urban Communities in China: Stabilising Networks?. In: Jing, Tk., Kuhnle, S., Pan, Y., Chen, S. (eds) Aging Welfare and Social Policy. International Perspectives on Aging, vol 20. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10895-3_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10895-3_10

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-10894-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-10895-3

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation