Presenting a new defamilization and familization framework for investigating the residualization of old‐age income security measures—The case study of Hong Kong

Abstract

Familization and defamilization studies are increasingly seen as an important component of welfare research. They are concerned with the threats to the welfare of individuals caused by involuntary participation in the unwanted family relationship. Moreover, they address the idea that governments have the potential to reduce these threats through the provision of welfare measures. This article contributes to the familization and defamilizaion studies with the focus on the link between these studies and the studies of residualization strategies. It carries out three analytical tasks. The first is to present a new defamilization and familization framework. The second is to demonstrate the usefulness of this framework in analyzing the problem of employing the residualization strategies to reform the old‐age income security system. Our focus is particularly on the insufficient sensitivity of these strategies to women's (and men's) diverse preferences relating to ways of organizing their family life. The third is to demonstrate the empirical significance of this framework. To meet this objective, we apply the framework to the investigation of two old‐age income security measures in Hong Kong—the Mandatory Provident Fund and the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance scheme.

Rethinking the residual policy response: Lessons from Hong Kong older women’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Also, the model is premised on the assumption that the government should intervene only in temporary and emergency situations – for example, when the two sectors fail to function (Hill, 2006). Putting this model into practice is considered a common way for upholding the neo-liberal welfare principle (Yu et al, 2020). It is because this model conveys the messages that people should take part in the labour market and service market as individuals, and that the issues handled by the family should be seen as issues within the private domain.…”