Social Adaptation of Relocated Residents in Guizhou: A Social-Ecological Systems Approach

This study investigates how relocated residents in Guizhou Province navigate everyday life after being moved into newly established communities under China’s targeted poverty alleviation policy. Using the lens of social-ecological systems (SES) theory, the research looks beyond economic statistics to examine how individuals—young and old, male and female—adapt in more personal, social, and structural ways. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach across 64 resettlement sites, the study reveals distinct challenges shaped by age, gender, and the institutional context. Older adults face difficulties adjusting to new urban livelihoods and experience a loss of social identity. Women encounter tension between household responsibilities and limited work opportunities. Children struggle with unfamiliar behavioral norms and emotional insecurity. By tracing how micro-level (individual), meso-level (community), and macro-level (institutional) forces intersect, the paper builds a layered understanding of adaptation. In response, it proposes a “Three Sectors, Five Dimensions” community support model that brings together professional social work, grassroots participation, and targeted policy tools. The study offers a grounded and practical contribution to current debates on forced relocation and adaptive governance, with implications for China and other Global South contexts undergoing similar transitions.