Unveiling Neoliberal Dynamics: Government Purchase (goumai) of Social Work Services in Shenzhen's Urban Periphery

How has social work, which has emerged as a distinct profession in the PRC with the full support of the party-state, come to produce neoliberal outcomes similar to those found in other, capitalist countries? In this article, I draw attention to the government purchase (goumai) of social work services, which is commonly considered as confirmation of state capacity and leadership rather than the passing on of state responsibilities to civil sectors with tight budgets. Ethnographic research on the actual social work practices in Shenzhen's Foxconn town reveals how neoliberal-style outsourcing has converged with diverse historical legacies, thus creating precarious labour conditions for frontline social workers. Neoliberal dynamics end up filling most of these social work positions with migrant youth from the countryside, reproducing and perpetuating China's rural–urban divide. Institutional efforts at social care may not only reduce the existing inequalities but may also rely upon and even reinforce them. 在中国政府的大力支持下, 社会工作已成长为一个新兴产业。但和其他资本主义国家一样, 在中国的社会工作发展中也发现了新自由主义的产物, 这是如何产生的呢, 带着这一疑问, 本文中我特别关注到政府购买社会工作服务项目, 通常这被认为是对国家能力和领导力量的证明, 而不是以紧缩的预算将国家的责任转移给非政府部门的行为。通过对深圳富士康工业区社会工作实践的民族志研究, 提出新自由主义形式的外包囊括了各种历史遗留问题, 使得一线社工面临着不稳定的劳动条件。新自由主义运行机制最终依靠来自农村的外来务工人员填补了社会工作的空位, 加重了中国长期以来的城乡差异。关于社会保障的制度上的工作不仅会减少现存的不平等, 也会依赖并加强这种不平等。