Depoliticised or repoliticised policy practice?: The role of non-governmental social work organisations in policy-making in China | Zendy

Tian Cai | Zendy; Jie Lei | Zendy; Yuying Chen | Zendy

Open Access

Depoliticised or repoliticised policy practice?: The role of non-governmental social work organisations in policy-making in China

Author(s) -

Tian Cai,

Jie Lei,

Yuying Chen

Publication year - 2021

Publication title -

the british journal of social work

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95

H-Index - 81

eISSN - 1468-263X

pISSN - 0045-3102

DOI - 10.1093/bjsw/bcab172

Subject(s) - china , corporate governance , government (linguistics) , social policy , work (physics) , public administration , public relations , social welfare , state (computer science) , business , public policy , social work , qualitative research , political science , economic growth , sociology , economics , finance , mechanical engineering , social science , linguistics , philosophy , algorithm , computer science , law , engineering

The Chinese government has made increasing use of the strategy of contracting out social services to non-governmental social work organisations (SWOs) to improve its capacity for social governance. This institutional arrangement provides a space where SWOs are not only involved in the provision of welfare services but also have opportunities to influence policy-making. Based on a qualitative study conducted in Shenzhen and Nanjing, this article shows how SWOs in China engage in depoliticised policy practice, characterised by SWOs’ compliance with the state’s agenda, adoption of nonconfrontational tactics and exertion of professional influence based on expertise. As a result, SWOs have been repoliticised as an arm of the state rather than independent and autonomous policy advocates.

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