Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.6, 2017

 

The Topic of Social Policy in the New Normal Economy

(Abstract)

 

Wang Sibin and Guan Xinping

 

With the “new normal” of the Chinese economy’s shift from rapid growth to rapid but stable development comes the opportunity for redressing previous imbalances in social and economic growth. A number of complex, changing and recurrent economic and social problems indicate that Chinese social policy will undergo quite a major adjustment. Against this background, discussing the choice of strategic policy directions and related issues will be profoundly significant for reform and innovation. Wang Sibin, Professor of Sociology at Peking University and Research Fellow at the China Social Work Research Center, points out that, in the new normal of economic development, we need an active social policy support, which is the combination of active social policy and policy implementation. The underpinnings of such a social policy should develop from being purist, narrow and remedial to offering recipients assistance and help that are scientific, humanist, integrated and developmental. Whether from the perspective of the needs of policy recipients or that of resource mobilization, social policy support needs to be holistic, take an integrated approach to disadvantaged groups, and be designed and implemented as a whole. The construction of active social policy support is not only practically significant for resolving the social problems of today’s economic transformation, but also an important foundation for the construction of China’s social policy system. Professor Guan Xinping of the Institute of Social Construction and Management and Department of Social Work and Social Policy in Nankai University, holds that although Chinese social welfare has improved greatly over the past decade, it is still rather low compared with today’s requirements for the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. In China’s new economic and social situation, social policies are not only significant for ensuring and improving people’s livelihood and maintaining social justice, but can also play a greater role in facilitating economic development. To fulfill the new concept of development and requirements for justice, improved livelihood and shared development put forward by the Party Central Committee and to better facilitate transitional economic development, China should continue to raise the level of social policy goals and general welfare and should aim for a win-win situation in which social policy supports both welfare and development.