大陸自1949年後實行集中計劃管理之經濟體制，運用「社會主 義福利制度」，由政府包辦一切福利資源及服務，視「慈善」爲帝 國主義、僞善人或封建思想，四十年不用慈善一詞，近年再次推動 民間慈善。本研究之主旨，乃爲探討在現階段大陸新出現的「慈善」 之意義以及與市場社會之關係。採用質化研究法中之論述分析，分 析1994年至1997年大陸報刊言論中與慈善相關之内容。 在當地報刊言論中，慈善的定義共有八類：（一）「政治性意 義」，（二）「經濟性意義」，（三）「社會需要」，（四）「民間 行爲」，（五）「普世性價値」，（六）「中國文化」，（七）「歷 史階段之演變」和（八）「概念性質之演變」。 分析言論内容發現「慈善」定義與市場社會之關係。大陸實行 市場經濟體制後，引發了一些社會問題；政府欲藉「民間慈善」， 補充政府之財源及功能，提升道德及加強精神文明建設，救助困難 群體、緩衝社會之衝突和矛盾。然而至今在有關慈善之概念或法 規、政策上仍存有困難。

When mainland China adopted a centrally managed economic system in 1949, it also adopted a “socialist welfare system” under which all social welfare resources and services were managed by the government. For some forty years, the word “charity” was abolished from the government’s vocabulary. This research examines the meaning of “charity” as it has emerged during the course of China’s economic reforms, and the relation between the new charity and the market economy. The methodology of discourse analysis is used to examine mainland china newspapers and periodicals over the period 1994 - 1997. The analysis indicates eight relationships for the new concept of charity: (1) relation to politics, (2) relation to economics, (3) relation to societal needs, (4) relation to social behaviors, (5) relation to universal values, (6) relation to Chinese culture, (7) relation to historical evolution, and (8) relation to evolution of attitudes. The analysis also indicates that with the emergence of charity, government relies on charity (non-governmental programs) to make up for deficiencies in the resources and services of government programs for relief of hardship, for moderation of conflicts and dislocations resulting from market reforms, and for promotion of morality and civic spirit. There is continuing confusion among the people and continuing difficulty in government policies relating to the new charity.