Abstract:

As the ideological foundation of social governance, consensus provides a common semantic space for dialogue among multiple stakeholders. Currently, there exists a cognitive misconception in the governance of aging-related issues characterized by "emphasizing governance over consensus." This has led to challenges in implementing the national strategy of actively responding to population aging, including diminished effectiveness in policy dissemination resulting in public misinterpretation, insufficient value recognition of the "positive view on aging" exacerbating intergenerational cognitive divides, and a lack of consensus on "family-state collaboration" leading to ambiguous understanding of elderly care responsibilities. Grounded in China’s cultural tradition of "family-state isomorphism" and based on a three-dimensional analytical framework of "policy dissemination-social mentality-intergenerational interaction," this study proposes a systematic approach to building consensus across three dimensions—policy cognition, value identification, and responsibility coordination. This approach relies on a three-tier dissemination network comprising "mass communication, community communication, and family communication." Specifically, it involves policy translation and national education through mass communication, value reshaping and local integration through community communication, and responsibility negotiation and micro-level practices through family communication. By solidifying the consensus foundation for the governance of aging-related issues, this approach supports the effective implementation of the national strategy to actively address population aging.

Key words: consensus, population aging, social governance, public communication