Needs satisfaction and community enterprises employment of the disadvantaged female workers in Guangzhou

This is an exploratory study of the disadvantaged female workers' employment situation in the community enterprises and their basic need satisfaction in Guangzhou. The purposes of the study are to identify the views of disadvantaged female workers on the components of basic needs, and to assess the conditions of their need satisfaction. The theoretical framework of this study is based on the disadvantaged theory, the need theory and the framework of basic need developed by Chau and Wong (1999). 29 women were interviewed in the form of 7 focus groups. The findings indicated that these women, due to their age, gender, educational standard and types of employment, were in low income and poor working conditions. They were structurally disadvantaged and marginalized as a result of their personal and structural factors.;This study reveals that employment was the best means to satisfy basic needs of female workers, as this was their major financial source. Beside that, the family had the function of providing support to its members and the socialization of children, etc. However, social security had a limited function, the state had only played a residual role. Most of the respondents expected the state to be more active and to have a larger role in meeting their basic needs.;In general, the respondents considered that they had diversified need satisfaction patterns. However, there had been improvement in comparing with the pre-reform era. When comparing with the general public in turn of need satisfaction, they were worse off but in better shape than that of the vulnerable groups. The impact of economic reform on their need satisfaction was not that clear-cut. Their need satisfaction was affected by personal and structural factors. To conclude, the study finds that employment and the family could not meet the need of our respondents, and the state had to play a more active role. At last, the researcher has formulated some social policy, social service recommendations and also put up areas for further research.;In general, the respondents considered that basic life needs and health were their most important basic need and they were indispensable, their lacking would cause harm. Whereas, their views towards self-esteem, autonomy, relatedness with others, personality and morality, and life goals were distinctly diversified, and were also conditional and contextual. Social context and cultural tradition were the two significant factors that influenced the respondents' definition of their basic needs and of their components.