Degree Name  Doctor of Philosophy   For the past three decades
China's economic reform has led to rapid and unprecedented
economic growth and social change. These socioeconomic changes
have had a significant impact on China's elderly rural citizens.
There is considerable literature on China's socioeconomic
transformation and its impact on the country's social fabric.
However, many of these studies have focused on urban residents,
industrial issues and urban communities. There is relatively
less literature on rural residents and rural communities and
comparatively little attention has been paid to China's elderly
rural citizens. The aim of my study is to examine the impact of
China's socioeconomic changes that began in the 1980s on the
life of the country's elderly rural citizens. My research
indicates that while in the most general sense China's economic
reform has promoted the livelihood of the country's rural
population, the majority of China's elderly rural citizens lack
income security and in a substantia