The Evolution and Institutional Logic of China’s Community Elderly Care Service Mechanism — An Analysis Based on Historical Institutionalism

Abstract

The community elderly care service mechanism is a crucial component of the socialized elderly care service provision system in China’s aging society. Its timely evolution represents a significant supporting force for the national strategy of actively responding to population aging. Employing the analytical framework of historical institutionalism, this paper identifies four developmental stages of China’s community elderly care service mechanism: initial emergence, early exploration, rapid development, and optimization/upgrading. It examines the critical junctures and developmental pathways of this mechanism through the lens of evolutionary logic and driving forces, analyzing the macro, meso, and micro-level dynamics. This analysis aims to accurately delineate the achievements and challenges of the current community elderly care service system in China and to offer theoretical and practical insights for its future development.