The Research Of Social Support On Urban Residents Of Empty Nester

In1999, China officially entered the aging society. Along with the development of the changes of the family structure, the concept and the society, the number of empty nest families in our country has a rapidly rising trend, so Empty Nester phenomenon has been highlighted. With the rapid changes and transformation of society in our country, Empty Nesters, as a special group in the elderly, have not only some common features with the elderly, but the particularities of their own. Social support theory is an important theory which increases vulnerable groups’energy. As a vulnerable groups in communities, Empty Nesters are facing a variety of difficulties in the field of economy, social communication, daily care, spiritual support. From the perspective of social support theory, the author tries to analyze the Empty Nesters’living resources,hoping to provide corresponding support for them betterly.This paper is based on social support theory,and the author uses qualitative research method to systematically study the31Empty Nesters living in K community G city of Guangxi Autonomous Region,and these Empty Nesters are all more than60years.By means of analyzing the problems that the Empty Nesters encountered in their daily life,the author tries to conclude the features on economic support,life care,communication support,mental support,and study city Empty Nesters’social support through the combination of the two dimensions of formal support and informal support. The survey shows that most Empty Nesters live on a pension, and a minority of them on children support,and the latters’living standard is not ideal; the family guarantee is still their first choice for endowment; in the informal support, a spouse, children are the main candidates for them to provide life care; friends and relatives only provide spiritual comfort for Empty Nesters. On the basis of this, the author points out that both formal support and informal support need improving, and puts forward some related suggestions,hoping to help the government and society to give more effective care and help to Empty Nesters.This paper mainly includes the following parts:The first part is the introduction, the background and significance of this topic, summarizes the present situation of relevant theory and research. The second part is the research design, expounds the main concept, the theory basis and research method.The third part is to describe and analyze the city Empty Nester social support from formal and informal perspective. Social support can be divided into economic support, life care, social support and mental support. The sources of social support is divided into formal support system and informal support system:the former includes the civil affairs departments, the social security departments, enterprises and communities, the latter includes families, relatives, friends, colleagues and voluntary organizations. The author analyzes the functions of formal and informal support separately on economic support, life care, social support and mental support. The fourth part is to analyze the present problems on city Empty Nester social support from formal and informal perspective.The fifth part is to provide some suggestions on how to strengthen the city Empty Nester social support. The government should strengthen the support, and constantly improve and perfect the old-age security system; increase the Empty Nester medical insurance; the government should provide policy support for those children taking care of their seriously sick parents; Empty Nesters should also actively change their ideas and accept home-based care; children should earnestly perform their obligation to support the elderly; media should play an important role in the publicity and guidance of public opinion; strengthen the neighborhood and establish a neighborhood watch mechanism.