Towards a new Chinese welfare state‚ perceptions about distributive justice in China

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The project’s primary objective

To generate research based on peoples’ perceptions of distributive justice and fairness. To understand how these values, norms, experiences and preferences shape the normative foundations for the development of a Chinese welfare state; and to evaluate to what extent development of social policy and reforms of welfare arrangements in China align with peoples’ perceptions.

Key Questions Addressed

• What kind of distributive inequalities is acceptable and not in the eyes of the Chinese public?
• What is the relation between equality and personal responsibility?
• To what extent does social distribution and public goods provision mattered to the popular legitimacy of China’s governing regime?
• Are the underlying sources of income inequality and poverty perceived to be due to bad choices and lack of effort; or is it due to du bad brute luck and factors that people have no control over?
• What should the role of the state be in the provision of welfare compared to the role of the family?
• Do perceptions of distributive justice differ between different populations in China?
• How do Chinese perceptions of distributive justice and equality compare to Norwegian, German and American perceptions?

Background

Despite continued economic growth, China’s leaders see expanding social inequalities and dissatisfaction with public services as major challenges to social stability and the legitimacy of CCP rule. Of particular concern is the rural-urban gap in welfare resources and rights. In response, the central government has introduced social policy reforms of a scope unmatched in the world, including in the fields of labor, pensions, health, social assistance, and education. President Hu Jintao’s administration introduced the concept of a “Harmonious Society” emphasizing the need for more redistribution and equality as well as a sustainable social agenda; and a new law on social security was introduced in 2010. The focus on reducing inequality and prompting more just distribution has been continued under the leadership of Xi Jinping after 2014. The government’s ambitious aim is to ensure basic social services for all citizens by 2020.

The restructuring of welfare institutions in China has attracted a great deal of academic interest. Many scholars have addressed to what extent China does and will develop along the lines of Western welfare states. Much attention has been focused on detailing the scope and extent of welfare reforms in the wake of the economic reforms since 1978, the way the nation’s reforms are being financed and governed, and the social and political implications of the new regulations. Numerous studies have been conducted on specific reform initiatives, including in the field of health, social assistance, pensions and elderly care, and unemployment and laid off worker provision. This project takes another approach by focusing on how Chinese citizen’s experiences, perceptions, norms and values relate to the development of its welfare regime.