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 and creating an appearance that conforms to the political elite's vision of modernity has rendered China’s municipally-situated needy virtually invisible. This form of modernity is a site of aspiration regarded by the powerful as suitable for realizing their own illusions of rejuvenation, regeneration, and renovation. The crux of her claim lies in an appraisal of the state’s Minimum Livelihood Guarantee (Dibao) program.

SPEAKER: Dorothy Solinger, Professor of Political Science,
University of California, Irvine 
DISCUSSANT: Xian Huang, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Rutgers University 
MODERATOR: Qin Gao, Professor of Social Policy and Social Work,
Columbia School of Social Work