Evolution of social welfare in rural China: A developmental approach

While rural residents still comprise nearly 60 percent of the total population in China, little is known about the evolution of rural welfare. This article explores welfare services in rural China using a broad definition of social welfare: efforts by the entire country and society to promote personal or societal well-being. Diverse approaches have been implemented to provide social services for rural residents with complicated dynamics among different providers, which follows a path different from that in the West. Findings of this study have important policy and research implications for understanding and further developing social welfare services in rural China.