TITLE:
The Institutional Dilemmas and Rule-of-Law Pathways of Elderly Volunteer Services from the Perspective of Active Ageing
AUTHORS:
Hanjin Li
KEYWORDS:
Active Ageing, Elderly Voluntary Services, Social Participation, Security System
JOURNAL NAME:
Beijing Law Review,
Vol.16 No.3,
September
10,
2025
ABSTRACT: China’s ageing population is growing rapidly. Developing elderly volunteer services is now a critical path to support the active ageing strategy. Currently, elderly volunteer services face three main dilemmas. These challenges align with the three core pillars of active aging: health, participation, and security. Each aspect presents structural barriers that limit progress. The constraint manifests in following dimensions: inadequate health risk prevention mechanisms, limited participation channels and ineffective incentives, and insufficient funding coupled with weak institutional support. To effectively address these systemic dilemmas, a rule-of-law pathway must be relied on. Specialized legislations should be enacted to establish an institutional framework featuring government-led and multi-stakeholder collaboration. The key priorities involve strengthening comprehensive health risk prevention mechanisms, hierarchical and classified promotion institutions, and the security system of volunteer service. Institutional pathways are created through this process, transforming ageing-related pressures into drivers of social development.