民办养老院、第三部门与中国的转型福利经济

Non-State Care Homes for Older People as Third Sector Organisations in China’s Transitional Welfare Economy

第三部门的兴起已成为福利发展的一种全球现象。随着中国的市场化改革和政治民主化进程的推进,社会团体的成长已成为转型社会的显著特征。在逐渐成长的福利经济中,由于政府减少了对福利的直接供给,因此第三部门被视为社会照顾中新的增长点。本文在对三个城市中的137家养老院进行调查的基础上,审视了中国城市中民办养老院的发展情况。文章首先对福利生产中的第三部门、非政府组织和私人市场的相关理论进行了简要的回顾。其次,对中国特定背景下的第三部门组织、私人市场和政府的关系进行了讨论。再次,对促进民办养老院兴起的因素进行了评估。最后部分是关于137个民办养老院的发展情况、主要特征和与政府关系的研究成果分析。本文认为,民办养老院具有的独有特征使其成为中国福利经济中一种特殊形式的第三部门。

The rise of the third sector has been a global welfare phenomenon.In China,the growth of social organizations has been a remarkable feature of the transitional society after the adoption of market reforms and political liberalization.In its emergent welfare economy,the third sector has been hailed as a new growth point in social care as the state retreats from direct provision of welfare services.This article examines non-state care homes for older people in urban China based on a survey of 137 homes in three cities.It begins with a brief review of the theory of the third sector,non-governmental organizations and private markets in the production of welfare.This is followed by a discussion of third-sector organizations,markets and the state in the special context of China.The next section appraises the factors that contribute to the surge of non-state residential provision for the elderly.The final part of the article presents empirical findings on the development,key features and authority relations of 137 non-state care homes for older people.It is argued that their uniqueness marks them out as a special form of third-sector organization in China’s welfare economy.