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」為帝國主義、偽善人或封建思想，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，乃為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內容。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）「民間行為」，（五）「 普世性價值」，（六）「中國丈化」，（七）「歷史階段之演變」和（八）「概念性質之演 變」。分析言論內容發現「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.