Familisation and defamilisation processes of social safety net: Low-income families’ welfare participation experiences in Shanghai and Taipei

This study used the conceptual lens of familisation and defamilisation to examine how different social safety net policy instruments shape low-income family processes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 welfare recipients in Shanghai and Taipei. The study reveals unique patterns under non-Western and low-income contexts. Means-tested cash transfers inadvertently reinforced familisation processes; defamilisation tendencies were observed in subsidies and services tailored for children and parents, and a hybrid process emerged from employment support. Given that low-income families value both defamilisation and familisation measures, the study highlights the critical need for social safety net policies to balance these components.