Research On Urban-poverty Relief System

Since reform and opening-up, Chinese people's income has been increasing rapidly. However, with the adjustment of economic structure, inequality of people's income is gradually widening, thus bringing about the urban poor. This kind of poverty following economic development exists, to a certain extent, both in developed and developing countries. Thus, research on urban poverty becomes one of the high points in the world's academic forum. Before 1990, the problem of urban poverty was not attached enough importance to. It was the poverty in the country that government paid much attention to. Since 1990s, due to the adjustment of industrial structure, the problem of laying off and unemployment has been conspicuous, so the government started to face up to the problem of urban poverty. Leading group has been taking the problem of urban poverty so seriously that several special meetings have been held to try to solve the problem. At the recent 16th session of five CCP plenary conferences, building a harmonious society was put forward, which implied the meaning of solving the problem of urban poverty. At the same time, academic circle is starting to do many relative researches in terms of economics and sociology, etc. Making use of sociological researching method of combining quantitative and qualitative analysis, theory and practice, the paper emphasizes the reality while paying attention to the integrated and scientific theory. The first chapter of the paper briefly defines the meaning of "poverty" and "urban poverty group" and introduces researching method, including casting samples, which are the basis of the whole research. In chapter two, making use of the statistics collected through survey, the living state of the urban poor is analyzed in terms of such aspects as income, food, clothes, medical treatment, education and housing and the root of poverty is discussed using Marxism, Function Principle and Conflict Principle. The third chapter is the main body, chiefly analyzes the present urban-poverty-rescuing system, including the designation, effects and insufficiency of basic social security system for the laid-off, unemployment insurance system as well as minimum living security system. The next chapter analyzes the effects by positive method in view of these poverty-relief measures, drawing the conclusion that relative poverty is an important factor that makes them feel that their living standard is lower, which provides theoretical basis for the fifth chapter. The last chapter raises some countermeasures and suggestions of perfecting urban-poverty relief mechanisms, including perfecting minimum living security system and individual income tax imposing system, giving play to community NGOs to help the poor, developing human resources of the urban poor, and microlending as well.