Community Co-Governance, Welfare Policy, and Geriatric Depression in China: A Positioning Theory Approach

As populations age, a paradox persists: despite growing emphasis on “active aging,” geriatric depression remains widespread. This study explores how symbolic positioning across community, policy, and family domains is associated with depressive symptoms among older adults in China. Drawing on positioning theory and symbolic interactionism, we introduce soulful nurturing—a symbolic-affective process through which older adults interpret care, participation, and recognition as emotionally sustainin