Exploring Root Cause of Social Problems in China: Concept, Framework and Methodological Potential of Social Ecology

Abstract

In China, the conflicts between economic development and social ethics caused by social transformation become increasingly prominent, thus triggering a series of novel social problems. These novel social problems are causing great damage to the stability of China’s society and therefore push us to search for a new theory or consummate an existing theory to illustrate the underlying mechanisms behind them. This paper argues the root cause of social problems in recent China lies in the absence of harmonious social connections and inadequate social resources after elaborating the concept of ‘social ecology’ and its conceptual model. We further illustrate the methodological potential of social ecology in solving social problems by exploring the dynamic equilibrium and disorder of social ecology and its causes.

Keywords: Social Ecology; Social Ecological Systems Theory; Methodological Potential