Dorothy Solinger, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Irvine
Moderated by Qin Gao, Professor of Social Policy and Social Work, Columbia School of Social Work
Discussant: Xian Huang, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Rutgers University
In addressing the timely issue of China's urban poor policy, Dr. Solinger will pose the question: why are the poor in Chinese cities managed so much more meagerly, in relative terms, than other groups? Using statistical material, comparative information and quotations from interviews, she will make the case that the state’s obsession with forging stability has had a negative impact on China’s municipally-situated needy. Chinese cities must now conform to the political elite's vision of modernity, to what Dr. Solinger sees as its illusions of rejuvenation, regeneration, and renovation. Dr. Solinger bases her claim in the appraisal of the state’s Minimum Livelihood Guarantee (Dibao).
