Multidimensional poverty and anti-poverty strategies in urban china: A mixed-methods study of Shandong province

Zhao, Bo (2025) Multidimensional poverty and anti-poverty strategies in urban china: A mixed-methods study of Shandong province. PhD thesis, UTAR.

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Abstract

Over the past few decades, China has made remarkable strides in its battle against poverty. However, these efforts have been primarily concentrated in rural areas, while urban poverty has been neglected to some extent. China has not established specific poverty standards for urban areas, nor has it implemented unified measures for urban poverty as it has for rural areas. This research aims to comprehensively explore the overarching landscape and key contributing factors of multidimensional urban poverty in Shandong Province and investigate the lived experiences of its poor households, in order to provide recommendations for urban anti-poverty strategies in the region. This research employs a mixed-methods approach. The quantitative research utilizes a Dual Cutoff method to examine the overarching landscape of urban poverty in Shandong Province and applies logistic regression analysis to identify its contributing factors. Building upon the quantitative findings and relevant literature, the qualitative research employs an interpretative phenomenological approach to investigate the challenges faced by urban poor households in Shandong Province, as well as their coping strategies and poverty alleviation needs. The quantitative and qualitative research findings were then compared and discussed. The quantitative data analysis reveals that the overall reduction in urban poverty in Shandong Province over the past few years is primarily due to the decrease in the incidence of poverty rather than the intensity of poverty. Logistic regression analysis identified low educational attainment, chronic disease, large household size, gender, and poor surrounding environment as the primary factors contributing to urban poverty. Through qualitative data analysis, this research unveiled that urban poor households mainly faced challenges related to financial hardship, health dilemmas, poor housing conditions, and ineffective government administration. The qualitative findings supplemented the quantitative results by emphasizing the role of government administration in urban poverty. By integrating the findings of quantitative and qualitative research, this study offers targeted recommendations for effectively addressing urban poverty in the region.

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