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State and Family Responsibility for Universal Childcare: an Analysis from the Perspective of Social Integration

Author(s)

Zhang Qi*

Affiliation(s)

Department of Sociology, School of Political Science and Law, University of Jinan, Jinan, Shandong, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

With China's population structure change, the accessibility of 0 - 3-year-old infant care services is a key issue for social sustainable development. Existing studies mostly examine childcare from welfare supply or policy tools, neglecting the deep social structure. Based on social integration theory, this paper redefines the childcare dilemma as an anti-integration mechanism due to the imbalance between state and family responsibilities, not just a lack of welfare supply. Through theoretical deduction and literature analysis, it identifies the triple anti-integration effects of responsibility imbalance: gender exclusion enlarges labor market gender division, class solidification strengthens intergenerational transmission of unequal opportunities, and social trust erosion weakens the legal basis of public governance. On this basis, it proposes a responsibility reconstruction framework for social integration: the state takes the main responsibility for inclusive care supply, the family focuses on emotional support and education, and multi-party collaboration shares the responsibility. This research offers a new theoretical perspective for understanding China's nursery education policy's deep social function.

Keywords

Universal Childcare; Social Integration; State Responsibility; Family Responsibility; Responsibility Restructuring

References

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