Needs And Acquisitions:the Welfare For Urban Elderly Satisfied Yet?

Urbanization kept developing rapidly in China. At the turn of the century, China entered the era of aging. Social welfare system was transformed based on needs. All above is the background of this thesis. In order to analyze the welfare needs, welfare acquisition, welfare satisfaction of the aged in city and other related factors, the study hereby raised three major issues. Firstly, what’s the present situation of welfare needs, welfare acquisition, welfare satisfaction of the aged in city? Are there significant differences between different groups? Secondly, what elements (such as basic variables, cognitive factors, economic factors, family factors or structural factors) would affect different types of welfare needs, welfare acquisitions, welfare satisfaction? Thirdly, how is the executive performance of social welfare policy aiming at the aged in city? Is there any problem? What does optimized welfare policy focus on? Based on the literature review, the study developed a "need and acquisition: two-dimension-in-one social welfare framework", using the empirical data of China Social Moderate Universial Welfare Database to response the above problems. In the case that the welfare needs, welfare acquisitions, welfare satisfactions studies are hard to find in the academic community, the study committed to response the problems above has clear and rather innovative theory, reality and policy value.The study adopts quantitative research paradigm, with stratified sampling method to select the aged of Nanjing, Tianjin, Chengdu, Lanzhou as the object. First-hand information was gathered. On the basis of the literature review, three variables were constructed:welfare needs, welfare acquisition and welfare satisfaction. Welfare needs and welfare acquisition were analyzed as the starting point, and welfare satisfaction worked as tool of measurement. By means of descriptive statistics, interactive analysis and multivariate linear regression equation, status of social welfare (social benefits in this thesis) needs, access to the case and the degree of satisfaction were studied deeply. Based on it, the thesis studied how the basic factors (gender, age, nationality, political affiliation, class), cognitive factors (level of education, religious beliefs), economic factors (work status, personal income), family factors (marital status, family size, family income level) and structural factors (residence, region, nature of units) would influence welfare needs, welfare acquisition and welfare satisfaction. Meanwhile implementation and optimization of urban elderly social welfare policies were explored.The study found that:Firstly, contradiction exists between identity of needs and difference of acquisition regarding social welfare in the aged in city. Comprehensive welfare needs of the aged in city is on the average level, but there is a serious shortage of comprehensive welfare acquisition. No obvious differences exist inside welfare needs such as entertainment benefits, transportation benefits, health care benefits, legal benefits while the level of welfare acquisitions differ significantly. Comprehensive welfare satisfaction is inadequate, among which health care and legal benefits are particularly worrying. Secondly, the factors that affect welfare needs and welfare acquisition are significantly different, but on the contrary when referred to welfare acquisition and welfare satisfaction. The level of comprehensive welfare needs of the aged in city seems identical, while cognitive and regional differences could not be neglected. The level of welfare acquisition and welfare satisfaction are affected by fundamental factors, cognitive factors, economic factors and structural factors, and such kind of impact still exists in the specific aspects. It differs when it comes to specific aspects. Family factors have no impact other than legal welfare acquisition and satisfaction. Thirdly, there is giant structural exclusion in welfare acquisition and satisfaction. Elderly people who have agricultural household registration, who are outside the system of units, who live in underdeveloped areas fall behind compared with those corresponding groups in welfare acquisition and satisfaction. This is the main direction to which social welfare policy should be transformed and improved.Based on the study of welfare needs, acquisition and satisfaction, the thesis developed a "need and acquisition:two-dimension-in-one social welfare framework". Two dimension are welfare needs, welfare acquisitions. One is welfare satisfaction. Changing welfare needs provide the foundation of outlining the policy of Elderly’s Welfare. Because there are various obstacles when such policy is implemented, the study of social welfare need is not the end, but a start. The corresponding study of welfare acquisition is the other wing of "welfare policy blueprint". After checking the status of urban elderly welfare acquisition, welfare policy in need while not in shape would be found, then the target of reform would be totally clear. Welfare satisfaction as the criteria can visually measure the effect of implementation of the present social policies, and indirectly reflect the feeling of welfare acquisition of the aged in city.