Analysis On The Function Of Senior Citizens Association And Its Influential Factors Within Rural Community Construction

In2006,the government promulgated a series of policies to promote rural community.But on the whole the construction in rural community is at a fledging stage with a low level of peasants organization and weak self-governance capability of society. In China, founded in the1970s, the association for rural elderly has undergone three stages including the stage of self-development, the stage of widespread promotion dominated by the government and the stage of non-governmentally promoted autonomous governance. According to statistics made by relevant departments, by the end of2009, the number of the associations for rural elderly nationwide is436,226, with participants being42.27million. Gradually, the association for rural elderly has become a grey power to be reckoned with.Focused on individual cases, the thesis seeks to describe the role of the association for rural elderly in rural community construction, analyze the factors affecting the function of the association for rural elderly and put forward some suggestions in regard to the existing problems, drawing on relevant theories in sociology.The role of the association for elderly in rural community construction is as follows:First, the cultural and moral qualities of villagers are considerably improved and the sense of identification and the sense of belonging among them are strengthened, through a variety of cultural activities organized by the association for rural elderly. Secondly, the association vigorously participates in rural community construction and assists two committees in the village, Because of manpower shortage caused by villagers migrating from rural to urban areas in quantity. Meanwhile, the members of the council raise funds for the community construction by means of their own relationships and they also try to improve their work to gain more access to resources through the support from the government. Thirdly, based on the interior of the community, the association for rural elderly makes attempts to provide services that some villagers really need by changing the supply modes and building shared benefits in the community. Fourthly, the association serves as a platform on which villagers voice themselves, protect their benefits and participate in activities. As a result, villagers’enthusiasm for participating in public policy-making and issues is boosted. Villagers’suggestions and demands find expression in the widespread participation of the association for elderly in community construction, which strings village party branch and committee and the villagers together to further promote democracy in community construction and innovation of social administration.The factors affecting how the association for elderly functions in community mainly include local culture, members and other main parts in community construction. First, the association strengthens the cohesion of members, improves villagers’community awareness and widens the resources channel for community construction by making full use of local culture. Secondly, the members affecting the performance of the association for elderly can be divided into two kinds:common members and elites of the council. The common members vigorously persuade villagers to participate in public cultural activities in the village and provide manpower resources by means of kinship relationships. The elites are good at catching opportunities to develop themselves in pace with the community construction; they are good at mobilizing the resources, setting a good example for villagers. Finally, other main parts are the government, party branch and committee of the village and villagers. The government not only improves the legitimacy of the association for elderly but also supplies all kinds of resources for the development of the association for the elderly.The association for elderly not only directly receives material support from the two committees of the village but also carries out work by virtue of their authority. And villagers vigorously support the association, providing a good atmosphere for carrying out work by introducing members and affirming the value orientation.The association for rural elderly has already been a force to be reckoned with. However, in its development, it faces still faces many problems such as illegitimacy, overheads shortage and interior management.In order to solve these problems, first we must clear the government’s role, it’s necessary to use a variety of ways to solve the problems of the elderly association shortages of funds, but also to create a favorable policy and legal environment. Followed by the seniors association to take full advantage of and respect for the community culture. Finally strengthen the construction of the seniors association of human resources and organization activities of the association for rural elderly.