A Research Of Urban Anti-poverty Policy Based On Empowerment Theory

Since 1990s, China has gone into the period of economic system transition and social structural transformation. With the continuous advance of social reform, the problem of unemployment and laid-off workers went more prominent, the problem of "new urban poverty groups" has increasingly become the focus of social conflicts. Urban poverty problems, which cause great attention of our government and the community, have become one of the main problems which impede our social and economic development. With the further improvement of the Minimum Living Standard Program (MLSP) and urban re-employment policies which help to increase employment opportunities for the poverty groups, China has basically established an anti-urban poverty system which can alleviate poverty and promote employment. However, in practice, as a negative anti-poverty measure, MLSP has the possibility to lead to "welfare dependency"; meanwhile, as a positive anti-poverty measure, the performance of re-employment policies is poorer than expected. Therefore, how to make the anti-poverty policies to play a more effective and fair role is the urgency problem of building a harmonious society and maintaining social stability. In this paper, in order to study the advantages and disadvantages of the current anti-poverty policies, the author takes the recipients of the MLSP of Zhonghua Neighborhood of Siming District in Xiamen as a typical case, and analyzes the power-controlled situation of the poor families which based on the theoretical framework which is constructed by Empowerment theory. Moreover, to explore how to guide new urban poverty groups community-based by optimizing the management system to realize their rights and fundamentally get out of poverty. There are four chapters in this paper:The first chapter is a summary of basic theories. By introducing the general theory of poverty, poverty governance theory and Empowerment theory, summed up the significance to current practice of urban poverty from poverty theory, and expounded Empowerment is the core and aim of poverty governance. Then design the theoretical framework based on the three levels of Empowerment theory.Chapter two is new urban poverty groups and anti-poverty policy. This chapter studied the literature about new urban poverty groups and anti-poverty policies firstly, and then explored the background and formation process of new urban poverty groups. What's more, it has analyzed the evolution of urban anti-poverty policies in China.Chapter three is investigation situation and problem analysis. Firstly, described the status of urban poverty and anti-poverty of Xiamen. Based on this description, the author has introduced selection process of the case and the situation of exploratory investigation. Finally, explored the inadequacy of management of the MLSP and have analyzed difficulties faced by the poverty groups in the three levels of Empowerment theory on the basis of problems which are found in this investigation.Chapter four is the policy proposal. From the limited power in the three levels which the poverty groups controlled, the author raise the "bottom-up", "top-down" and "daily life" three empowerment channels, and suggest to establish a "Community Empowerment Center" to achieve the empowerment of poverty groups.