Full metadata record
| DC Field | Value | Language |
|---|---|---|
| dc.contributor | Department of Applied Social Sciences | en_US |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Cheng, Shing (APSS) | en_US |
| dc.creator | Xie, Taishu | - |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/14221 | - |
| dc.language | English | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Hong Kong Polytechnic University | en_US |
| dc.rights | All rights reserved | en_US |
| dc.title | How does poverty alleviation resettlement impact the subjective experience of older individuals in China? A case study from Guizhou through a depoliticization lens | en_US |
| dcterms.abstract | Since the 1980s, China has gradually established a market-oriented development trajectory through its reform and opening-up policies. In rural areas, the household responsibility system replaced collectivized agriculture, unleashing productive capacity but also resulting in fragmented landholdings and stagnant rural incomes. Under the long-standing urban–rural dual structure, poverty in rural regions has remained persistent. To address this, the central government introduced the "Targeted Poverty Alleviation" strategy during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016–2020), in which the policy of poverty alleviation relocation (PAR) became a key component. The policy aimed to relocate populations from deeply impoverished areas into centralized resettlement communities with better infrastructure and development prospects, promoting sustainable poverty alleviation primarily through market-based employment. | en_US |
| dcterms.abstract | However, existing research has largely overlooked the unique vulnerabilities of older adults during this relocation process. Although the policy design appears to comprehensively address various relocation risks in line with Cernea's Impoverishment Risks and Reconstruction (IRR) model, its actual institutional arrangements primarily served the working-age population, leaving the livelihood, land loss, and care risks faced by older people marginal and underexplored. This study focuses on F Community, a PAR resettlement region in Guizhou Province, and draws upon five months of ethnographic fieldwork, including oral histories collected from 37 relocated older adults aged 60 and above, supplemented by policy document analysis. Through thematic analysis, the study reveals the poverty of relocated older adults and the structural roots of their vulnerabilities. | en_US |
| dcterms.abstract | This study builds on Ferguson's concept of "depoliticization" by extending its explanatory scope and applying it to the context of China's PAR policy. By examining the policy logic behind PAR, its on-the-ground implementation, and the life stories of older relocatees, this research explores the empirical impact of PAR on the livelihoods of older adults. It identifies three key mechanisms—technocratic governance, moral regulation, and narrative construction—through which the state transforms structural poverty into neutral technical issues, thereby suppressing political inquiries into the root causes of poverty among older adults. The findings reveal that the loss of land-based security, the collapse of livelihoods, and exclusion from development resources have deepened the marginalization of older people after relocation. These risks are not accidental policy failures, but rather the result of deliberate operations of state power. | en_US |
| dcterms.abstract | Building on these findings, this study calls for policy measures that recognize and respond to the distinct needs of older adults, establish long-term support mechanisms, transform the logic of resource allocation, unleash the creativity of community cadres, and harness the professional capacity of social work. At the practice level, it urges critical reflection that reaffirms and upholds the core values and mission of social work. | en_US |
| dcterms.extent | xiii, 228 pages : color illustrations | en_US |
| dcterms.isPartOf | PolyU Electronic Theses | en_US |
| dcterms.issued | 2025 | en_US |
| dcterms.educationalLevel | DSW | en_US |
| dcterms.educationalLevel | All Doctorate | en_US |
| dcterms.LCSH | Poverty -- Government policy -- China -- Guizhou Sheng | en_US |
| dcterms.LCSH | Forced migration -- China -- Guizhou Sheng | en_US |
| dcterms.LCSH | Migration, Internal -- China | en_US |
| dcterms.LCSH | Older people -- China | en_US |
| dcterms.LCSH | Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations | en_US |
| dcterms.accessRights | restricted access | en_US |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8672.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 1.61 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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