Governmentality and the Politicisation of Social Work in China

Leung, Terry Tse Fong; Yip, Ngai Ming; Huang, Ronggui; Wu, Yongda

doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcs065

Cited by 49 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…With their intimate knowledge of their local communities and the expertise they have accumulated in their professional (pre‐retirement) roles, moral doctors’ comparative advantage is that they “align the self‐governing capacities of subjects with the objectives of political authorities by means of persuasion, education and seduction rather than coercion” (Rose, , cited in Leung, Yip, Huang, & Wu, , p. 1051). Many of the moral doctors told us that “we cure our patients following the principle of touching their hearts with love, instructing them with reason” ( dongzhi yiqing xiaozhi yili ).…”

Section: Applying Affects and Reason And Practicing An Ethics Of Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Utilizing the moral nobility of older Chinese women in governance: The uses of humility, empathy, and an ethics of care in moral clinics in Huzhou city

Wen

Zhang

McGhee

2020

British Journal of Sociology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper examines the emergence of the role of “moral doctors” who volunteer in what are called “moral clinics” in Huzhou city. In these moral clinics, the characteristics, experiences, and attributes of older women, in particular, are highly valued and viewed as being essential to the role of the moral doctor. These moral doctors act as moral exemplars and conflict mediators in their local communities. Their moral capital and professionalism, combined with their gender, age, familial and neighborhood attributes, contribute to the accumulation of an affective feminized labor which employs the techniques of care, reason, and moral fortitude to govern the self and others. We unpack these ethical virtues exemplified by moral doctors and nurses in order to show how a female‐centric “ethic of care” can become a set of techniques in governing others. In this paper, we elaborate on the role that these moral doctors perform to support the aims of the moral clinics in terms of fostering pro‐social behavior and moral obligation in local communities. We argue that the performance of this type of “moral work” is both a mechanism of discipline and a process of self‐actualization. We contribute to the current literature on “therapeutic governance” in China by showing how the non‐expert medicalization of social ills by moral doctors is incorporated into the reproduction of social control.

show abstract

Section: Applying Affects and Reason And Practicing An Ethics Of Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Utilizing the moral nobility of older Chinese women in governance: The uses of humility, empathy, and an ethics of care in moral clinics in Huzhou city

Wen

Zhang

McGhee

2020

British Journal of Sociology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The financing and delivery mechanism of these social programmes has gone beyond the former occupation-based social insurance model. One of the m ost significant achievements was the institu tionalisation of a professional social work and social care system, which were "non-existent" in China between 1952and 1982(Leung et al, 2012. By "purchas ing services", the government intended to support the development of social service n g o s and the social work profession to m eet citizens' increasing needs for social care under the market economy.…”

Section: The Crisis Of Neoliberalism and Social Policy Development Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards Solidarity and Recognition?

Wen

2015

Asian J Soc Sci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

According to the rhetoric of the post-war welfare state, citizens should have equal access to social benefits and protection based on human needs, rather than place of residence (Wincott, 2006). But under China’s socialist system and neoliberal reform, Chinese social citizenship has been eroded for various political and economic goals. Are there positive changes in Chinese social citizenship after a decade of social policy development? By interviewing 24 migrant college graduates working in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, the current study confirms institutional progress in social policy for people’s social protection. But these post-neoliberal social programmes are far from enough to help migrant graduates perform full social citizenship in urban regions. By studying social inclusion of educated but disadvantaged youth under neoliberal and post-neoliberal reforms, the study contributes to a growing body of literature analysing social citizenship and social policy in China.

show abstract

“…Indeed, as reflected in the positioning of social work as a social mechanism for the national policy of building a harmonious society, the Chinese state has been instrumental in advancing the making of social work at a speed and magnitude unprecedented in the history of social work (Zuo & Liu, ). The state's heavy involvement inevitably raises the question of the political control function of social work in China (Leung, Yip, Huang, & Wu, ).…”

Section: The Chinese State and Social Work: Some Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social work in the making: The state and social work development in China

Gao

Yan

2014

Int J Soc Welfare

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The instrumental role of government in the development of social work in China has led to questions about its political function. So far, little has been reported on how the government has “made” social work in China. To fill this gap, we first provide a brief chronological review of major policies and activities of the Chinese government in its making of social work in China. The state's intervention has indeed been massive and crucial although, politically, it may limit the mandate of social work in China. Yet, we argue that the development of the social work profession in China is generating institutional space for the emerging civil society to take a more active role in welfare service delivery. Situated and mediating between the state and the emerging civil society, the social work profession in China will need to constantly negotiate its mandate to meet the needs of both sides.

show abstract

Governmentality and the Politicisation of Social Work in China

Cited by 49 publications

References 16 publications

Utilizing the moral nobility of older Chinese women in governance: The uses of humility, empathy, and an ethics of care in moral clinics in Huzhou city

Utilizing the moral nobility of older Chinese women in governance: The uses of humility, empathy, and an ethics of care in moral clinics in Huzhou city

Towards Solidarity and Recognition?

Social work in the making: The state and social work development in China

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About