社区研究、社区养老与社会政策

China's “Shequ”,Community Study,Elder Care and Social Policy

从国际比较的角度,回顾社区研究、社区服务及有关历史,反思中国的"社区"及其在社会政策实践中的作用。分析中西方养老模式与理念之异同以吸取有益经验,对中国式"社区养老"与西方的community care(社区照顾)以及近年来流行的aging in place(AIP,就地养老)作了回顾比较,并在更广阔的社会经济背景下探讨未来发展趋势。社区养老将成为中国养老方式的主流,但社区养老不是变相家庭养老。家庭的养老功能急剧减弱,不久的将来,当大批"空巢"(包括孤独鳏寡)老人进入高龄阶段后,尤其是需要长期照顾(long-term care)的时候,"以居家为基础"更不能简单理解为以自我或家庭照顾为主,居家社区服务必须跟上,机构养老一床难求的局面要尽早改变。正视独生子女政策以及城市化发展的后续问题,针对即将到来的巨大社会养老需求,大力发展社会服务(包括机构养老),这是非常时期应对"潮独"(婴儿潮出生、成为独生子女父母)一代特别突出的"空巢"家庭问题积极开展研究的必然思路。综合社会服务体系框架设计、分户不分居的代际支持方式、城乡老年人健康分化等,都是与社区养老密切相关的研究课题。中国总体公共政策已经由"经济国家"向"后经济国家"转型,为社区养老事业朝正确方向发展提供了历史条件,国家"十三五"规划为此做了新的战略部署。政策研究还要注意避免这种有针对性的养老举措在将来过时而造成国家负担过重。

This paper focuses on the Chinese Shequ （community） and its role in eider care pohcy anu practice in historical and comparative perspectives. It analyzes the differences and similarities between Chinese and Western communities, conceptions, and eider care patterns and ideas, compares Chinese community -based elder care with Western community care as well as more recently popular movement of aging in place （AIP）, and explores their historical trends in broader socioeconomic contexts. Chinese cultural tradition of family care for the elderly, emergence of elder care service industries as partof the modernization process, and application of new technologies in the post - modern era will facili- tate aging in community as the mainstream of a Chinese model of elder care. The strict population and birth control policies since 1980 have resulted in aging cohorts of the ＂baby boomers＂ as parents of the singleton generation （called ＂Chao Du＂ elderly with such double identities）, which have become the majority of the older population in urban China. With significant social changes marked by rural - ur- ban migration, marriage decline, etc., family care capability is weakening dramatically. When more and more older people in ＂empty nest＂ households （ particularly ＂Chao Du＂ or baby boomers with sin- gleton children） reach ＂old old＂ or very old ages in the near future, especially as some of them will be- come dependent on long- term care, home- based care can no longer be simply taken as mainly self -care or care by family. Community services must be provided and growing difficulty in obtaining in- stitutional care needs to be resolved. The country has to face the consequence of the ＂one child＂ policy over the past three decades, joined by rapid urbanization with giant and imminent needs for social care, and go all out to develop social services （including institutional care） for the elderly. This ad- vancement in social and aging policy research focusing on ＂empty nests＂ of the ＂Chao Du＂ generation to expand social care arrangements to support aging in community is necessary during such a special historical period. The ongoing transformation of China＇ s general public policy （GPP） from an ＂eco- nomic state＂ to a ＂post - economic state＂ renders a favorable historical context for the development of the undertaking. However, social policy research should anticipate a possible future setback from the special policies targeting this generation of the elderly and avoid imposing a permanent overload on the state.