Social Value

I am very impressed by the definition on measuring social value mentioned in class, which is, “Social value is not an objective fact. Instead, it emerges from the interaction of supply and demand, and therefore may change across time, people, places and situations”. From my points of view, even if it is one organization, the social value may value with time. Take my childcare center as an example.

Interaction of Supply and Demand

My program is supposed to promote the interaction between parents and children. However, the way to achieve the goal may vary based on the real needs of the parents, such as the frequency. Also, the goal may change with time. When communication has become a habit of the parents and the children, the goal can be altered to cultivate interpersonal skills of the children.

Time

Childcare center is needed now for the following reasons. First, most of the children have working parents. In the past, the stereotype is that women should stay at home to take care of the children. In these days, more and more women give the same weight to career as family. Most of the children are thus cared by their grandparents. Children are easily spoiled by grandparents. Second, many people seek job in big cities. In this case, grandparents may not live with the children. Parents can only rely on nannies but most of the nannies can only pick up children and cook dinner for them. Also, there are very few childcare centers in China, not to mention the regulations. Few parents dare to send their children to the existing childcare centers. Thus, the after-school education is really a problem in China, especially in big cities like Shanghai.

People

The target audience for my program are the children who do not live with their grandparents. The parents of those children are often quite busy with work because it is not easy to live in a big city if they are not born there. The program is to satisfy their needs. If the target audience changes to local people, the goal of the program should also change. In most cases, what local people worry most is how to compete with other children. The parents do not want childcare centers but after-school classes. Chances are that there will be a day when parents do not value academic performances as the most important matter and want to balance the overall development of the children.

Place

Childcare centers can open in Shanghai but it may not work in the second-tier cities, such as Hangzhou. First, not many people choose Hangzhou as a working place. Second, people their do not often work late. Third, they do not regard it as a worthy investment. Probably, in the future, some kind of childcare centers will be needed in those cities.