Social Policy in China

This much-needed new textbook introduces readers to the development of China's welfare polices since its conception of an open-door policy of 1978. Setting out basic concepts and issues, including key terms and the process of policy making, it overcomes a major barrier to understanding Chinese social policy: notably, that concepts and terms in use in China are significantly different from those current in other parts of the world. The book explores in detail the five key policy areas of employment, social security, health, education and housing. Each is examined using a human well-being evaluative framework covering physical and psychological well-being, social integration, fulfilment of caring duties, human learning and development, self-determination, equal value and just polity.This enables the authors to provide not only factual information on policies but also an in-depth understanding of the impact of welfare changes on the quality of life of Chinese people over the past three decades. A major strength of the book lies in its use of primary Chinese-language sources, including relevant white papers, central and local governments' policy documents, academic research studies and newspapers for each policy area. There are very few books in English on social policy in China, and this book will be welcomed not only by academic teaching staff and students of Chinese and East Asian social policy but also by their counterparts in comparative social policy studies in the West.