| Charities and charitable organizations, as non-profit social organizations, have been playing an increasingly important role in the social development. Enjoying a long history in China, charities worked as a social value concept and contributed a lot to the sustaining of Chinese feudalism. Since the beginning of modern times, especially after the Xinhai Revolution and the foundation of The Republic of China, the development of charitable organizations rose to its top due to some political and economical factors; therefore, they produced an important impact on the turbulent and transitional Chinese society. As the most advanced and biggest city in China, Shanghai took full advantage of good conditions introduced by the urban development and led a decisive role in social charitable relieve facilities.From the angle of society history and by means of some research approaches such as history, sociology, strategies and study of comparative law, this article presents a thorough exposition of some important events' happening, developing and declining and their internal law during the period of the Republic of China. Also by analyzing their inner organization structure, relationship between governments and civil associates as well as the social status of their participants, the article also summarizes the role and social position of charitable organizations in the times of the Republic of China so that the social position of the charitable organizations can be objectively commented.The article consists of five chapters:Chapter One: A brief review of charitable organizations' historical origin, development and evolution and their nature. Born at the time of beginning of human civilization, charities advances synchronously with human civilization. From Shang Dynasty and Zhou Dynasty to Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, though charities had seen great changes of several thousand years, its central concept had kept unchanged. It absorbed the people-orientationlism, humanity of Confucianism and retributive justice of Buddhism, thus charity concept came into being. Since the modern times, the introducing of Western charity concept made the connotation of charity broadened and the amount of people in the line of charity increased. As a result, the development of charities at that time was pushed forward.Chapter Two: An analysis of the background and social foundation of the development of charitable organizations and charities in Shanghai at the time of the Republic of China. On one hand, the changes of political systems, the high development of economy and the further break-up of social classes in the process of urbanization were followed by the population flowing, whichproduced some serious social problem while providing economic development with considerable amount of cheap workforce and commodities market. The fluctuation of the market and the turbulence of the political situation resulted in some negative effects, which enlarged the amount of the poor and consequently created some threats to the social stability. On the other hand, as a comparatively early urbanized city in China, Shanghai had followed the western model and introduced some foreign social relief facilities and charities policies, therefore Shanghai charities was pushed forward.Chapter Three: Qualities of shanghai charities and its organizations during the period of the Republic of China. The quick development of shanghais economy made the urban area expanded. In the meantime, the in pouring of immigrants made the blood relationship and the relationship of fellow natives in country side changing into ties of the same trade and the same community. So charity organizations got out the restriction of parties of fellow native and trade associates into uni-purpose charity organizations. Compared with the old ones, the charity organizations during the period of the Republic of China possessed some new characters. Private charity organizations were superior to the state-run ones as to their quantities and sizes; Charity organizations were managed...
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