Skip to main content

What Kind of Welfare State Is Emerging in China?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Towards Universal Health Care in Emerging Economies

Part of the book series: Social Policy in a Development Context ((SPDC))

Abstract

Through a survey of current social policy arrangements and historical trajectories, the emerging Chinese welfare state is positioned in relation to the main models in the literature on welfare state typologies. It is found that the emerging welfare state in China is developing in response to economic necessity rather than political-ideological drivers, a process which is not original, not socialist, and not developmental. China’s emerging welfare state can be best classified as a fragmented liberal-conservative hybrid model which is limited and defensive in terms of both ambition and practice.

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

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
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

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Orloff (1993), O’Connor (1993), Sainsbury (1993, 2001), Daly and Lewis (1998), Lewis (1992).

  2. 2.

    See www.audit.gov.cn/n1992130/n1992150/n1992500/3071265.html. Accessed March 2016 (website in Chinese).

Bibliography

  • Bonoli, G. 1997. Classifying welfare states: A two-dimension approach. Journal of Social Policy 26(3): 351–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CCP (Chinese Communist Party). 1993. Decision on several key issues concerning the establishment of the socialist market economy system. Third Plenum of the 14th Central Committee of the CCP, Beijing, 14 November 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, C., K.L. Ngok, and D. Phillips. 2008. Social policy in China: Development and wellbeing. Bristol: Policy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cook, S., N. Kabeer, and G. Suwannarat (eds.). 2003. Social protection in Asia. Delhi: Har-Anand Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daly, M., and J. Lewis. 1998. Introduction: Conceptualising social care in the context of welfare state restructuring. In Gender, social care and welfare state restructuring in Europe, ed. J. Lewis, 1–24. Brookfield: Ashgate.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, R., E.J. Hansen, S. Ringen, and H. Uusitalo (eds.). 1987. The Scandinavian model: Welfare states and welfare research. New York: M. E. Sharpe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Esping-Andersen, G. 1990. The three worlds of welfare capitalism. London: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. (ed.). 1996. Welfare states in transition: National adaptations in global economies. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1999a. Social foundations of postindustrial economies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1999b. Social foundations of postindustrial economies. Oxford: OUP.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Gao, Q. 2012. The Chinese welfare state in transition: 1988–2007. Paper presented to the International workshop on social welfare development and governance transformation in East Asia, School of Management, Central China Norman University, Wuhan 17–18 May 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao, Q., I. Garfinkel, and F. Zhai. 2009. Anti-poverty effectiveness of the minimum living standard assistance policy in Urban China. Review of Income and Wealth 55: 630–655.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, N. 2002. Transformation of the welfare state: The silent surrender of public responsibility. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2008. A mother’s work: How feminism, the market, and policy shape family life. New Haven: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gough, I., J. Bradshaw, J. Ditch, T. Eardley, and P. Whiteford. 1997. Social assistance in OECD countries. Journal of European Social Policy 1997(7): 17–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo, J., and N. Gilbert. 2007. Welfare state regimes and family policy: A longitudinal analysis. International Journal of Social Welfare 16(4): 307–313.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gustafsson, B., and Q. Deng. 2011. Di Bao receipt and its importance for combating poverty in Urban China. Poverty and Public Policy 3(1): 1–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joseph, W.A. (ed.). 2010. Politics in China: An introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Korpi, W. 1983. The democratic class struggle. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leung, J.C.B., and R. Nann. 1995. Authority and benevolence: Social welfare in China. Hong Kong: China University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, J. 1992. Gender and the development of welfare regimes. Journal of European Social Policy 3: 159–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberthal, K. 2004. Governing China: From revolution through reform. New York: Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu, F. 1989. The work unit: A special type of social organization. Social Sciences in China 1: 42–51 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor, J.S. 1993. Gender, class and citizenship in the comparative analysis of welfare state regimes: Theoretical and methodological issues. British Journal of Sociology 44(3): 501–518.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development). 1987. Financing and delivering health care: A comparative analysis of OECD countries. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orloff, A.S. 1993. Gender and the social rights of citizenship: The comparative analysis of state policies and gender relations. American Sociological Review 58(3): 303–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ringen, S., H.-j. Kwon, I. Yi, T. Kim, and J. Lee. 2011. The Korean state and social policy: How South Korea lifted itself from poverty and dictatorship to affluence and democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Saich, T. 2008. Providing public goods in transitional China. New York: Palgrave Macmillan; Sainsbury, D. (ed.). 1994. Gendering welfare states. London: SAGE Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2011. Governance and politics in China, 3rd ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sainsbury, D. 2001. Gendering dimensions of welfare states. In Rethinking European welfare: Transformations of Europe and social policy, ed. J. Fink, J. Lewis, and J. Clarke, 115–129. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • ______. 1993. Dual Welfare and Sex Segregation of Access to Social Benefits: Income Maintenance Policies in the UK, the US, the Netherlands and Sweden. Journal of Social Policy 22(1): 69–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • The Economist. 2012. Fulfilling promises. 11 August 2012. http://www.economist.com/node/21560274

  • Titmuss, R.M. 1974. Social policy: An introduction. London: George Allan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilensky, H. 1975. The welfare state and equality. Berkeley: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wong, L. 1999. Marginalization and social welfare in China. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zheng, G.C. 2008. China’s social security in thirty years. Beijing: People’s Press (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Copyright information

© 2017 United Nations Research Institute for Social Development

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Ringen, S., Ngok, K. (2017). What Kind of Welfare State Is Emerging in China?. In: Yi, I. (eds) Towards Universal Health Care in Emerging Economies. Social Policy in a Development Context. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53377-7_8

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53377-7_8

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-53376-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-53377-7

  • eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics