The Re-delimiting Of Family Security Function During Transition

Risk security of workers and social members are major issues that are almost as old as human society, and the resolutions are affected by currently economic, political, cultural, historical traditions, social mainstream values and other factors. The completion of this mission depends on appropriate performance of families, guilds (religious and charitable organizations), enterprises (market mechanism), governments and other social organization, and family security system and socialized security mechanism are constituted on base of the above performance. Modern social security issues should be resolved by combined effect of both mechanisms, and social security systems should rely on "two legs" to walk, including family security system and socialized security mechanism, rather than rely solely on a mechanism to play a role. Excessively reckon on or emphasize "one leg" but ignore "the other one", will not be helpful to the efficient and rational resolution to the social security issues, on the contrary, it will lead to new problems.Family, as one of the oldest traditional social organizations, has as yet retained its form and core. It is not only cell of social production and life, but also the most basic form of organizations in social life. With the progress of human civilization, family structure, form, function and species has changed continuously, however, the status and role of family in safeguarding its members has not changed, and family security system has always been the most reliable and the most basic security mechanism to avoid risks of social members, meanwhile, it has also been the most basic welfare resources of human with different complexion or nationality. Nevertheless, social division of labor, industrial revolution and the establishment of modern social security system still have impacted a lot on the fundamental position of family security system, such as family support capabilities continue to shrink and its support function continue to spills and so on. In particular, ever since governments have involved in security affairs of social members, government mechanism has become the main mechanism for social security or even the only one. Roles of socialized security mechanism are amplified, at the same time, foundations of family system are undermined and functions of family are ignored. Excessively emphasize socialized security and government responsibility will, not only enable the government to carry a heavy financial burden, but also indirectly induce a welfare crisis. The welfare development track of the western countries can illustrates this view precisely. Shrink of family size, changes of lifestyle, and reduce of economic and living reliance among family members should not, also cannot be excuses to completely deny functions of family security system. The government security mechanism cannot replace family security system totally, especially under the condition that relations, ethics and morality still exist among family members. When parents lose their sources of livelihood and self-care ability, it is children's duty-bound responsibility to support and care the elderly within their ability. Under the family security system, child's care and spiritual solace to parents cannot be replaced by any other forms of security. Roles of socialized security mechanism cannot be infinitely magnified, and family security should not be reduced too. Since 1970th, the Western welfare reform and policy practice in Singapore can reflect such views. Therefore, during the process of our security system transformation and construction as well as in improving socialized security mechanism, it should also give full recognition and attention to the role of family, so as to avoid the western countries'old road which means "to retrieve the family". Of course, we have to guard against changing from one extremity which is over- emphasis on socialized security whiling ignoring family security to the other one which is over-emphasis on family security whiling ignoring socialized security.Currently, our social security system is in transition, we should seize this favorable opportunity to constitute scientific policy on family security system which will excellently combine both of the government security and family security systems. During the process, we should guard against falling the trap of ignoring family security system as well as the trap of over- emphasis on family security system, avoid the social security fail to fill the vacancy caused by the weakened family security in time, put an end to the occurrence of the "double absence" phenomena including family security and socialized security system, and promote the balanced development of family security and socialized security, which is undoubtedly a positive attempt to achieve sustainable development of our social security system.