Keerty Nakray
(O.P. Jindal Global University)
Rana Jawad
(University of Bath)
Ricardo Velázquez Leyer
(Universidad Iberoamericana)
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Formats:
Papers
Stream:
The politics of state policies and social protection
Location:
Library, Seminar Room 6
Sessions:
Thursday 20 June, -
Time zone: Europe/London
International social policy and welfare state transitions: towards universalism 2030? (social policy-development studies dialogues).
Panel M3 at conference DSA2019: Opening up Development.
Universalism has been the cornerstone of the United Nations' SDGs, (2015), pledging to achieve universalism, by 2030. The main aim of this research panel is to examine the complexity of universalism debates both theoretically and empirically through sector and country-specific case studies.
Long Abstract:
In the contexts of LMICS, universalism poses a specific set of challenges and opportunities. The panel objectives include identifying international social policy trends, challenges and innovations in the world with specific emphasis on:
1. Welfare regime dynamics: regarding economic and political factors (such as industrialisation and partisanship) which influence universalism. LMICS are in the process of upscaling their social protection systems and have adopted more innovative programmes such as micro-finance and conditional cash transfers.
2. Universalism versus Targeting: Country specific examples of how countries are choosing certain forms of social protection such as conditional cash transfers or contributory schemes as compared to unconditional non-contributory schemes.
3. Global social policy and SDG's debates on transnational legal and policy frameworks and diffusion in LMICs of varied social protection schemes.
4. Universalism and economic growth and their influence on sustainable financing of social policies when international donor funding dominant social protection financing or systems of taxation and social security might not be effective or efficient enough to fund social protection. The aspects of coverage, scale and depth of social protection measures in transforming absolute poverty and inclusive growth.
5. Citizenship, Nationalism and Identity: The role of public attitudes and perceptions on individual responsibility, poverty and migration and its influence on welfare state generosity. The influence of neo-populist governments on universalism and welfare state dynamics as well as local value-systems in LMIC contexts where sub-national identities (such as tribal, ethnic, religious) influence public opinion and civil society movements.
The main aim of this paper, is to examine the political determinants of welfare states in Brazil and India. It will carefully examine the impact of political parties with centre-left ideologies on trade-unions and its relationship to the development of the welfare state.
Paper long abstract:
The origins of modern welfare states are rooted in the 'logic of industrialism' along with the Second World War. Industrialised economy necessitated that employees be protected against life-course risks such as industrial accidents; unemployment; illness and familial responsibilities. One of the key concerns of employment policies includes hiring, firing, training of workers and collective bargaining and organisation of workers with employers. Walter Korpi's (2006, 2985) 'power resources' approach within the contexts of advanced industrialised economies, the key determinants of the welfare state are centre-left government along with trade unions, various wage bargaining institutions (such as middle-class interest groups) has produced progressive welfare states. Existing research within advanced economies indicates that greater left-wing control of government creates more redistribution, and that the presence of unions and coordinated wage bargaining reduces wage inequalities or increases wage compression. The main aim of this paper, is to examine the political determinants of welfare states in Brazil and India. It will carefully examine the impact of political parties with centre-left ideologies on trade-unions and its relationship to the development of the welfare state. First, the paper will delineate the dynamics of power resources theory in the context of developing countries. Second, it will examine the major milestones in the evolution of the India and Brazilian welfare state. Finally, it will critically evaluate the differences between the two welfare states regarding generosity and depth.
The paper proposes a new typology of social assistance programmes that takes into account the forms of social assistance practiced in the MENA region and explores the influence of political economic drivers in determining the shape of social protection systems and their likely welfare outcomes.
Paper long abstract:
Based on an analysis of the size and structure of social protection programmes in the MENA region dating back to the 1990s, this paper critically examines the current debates regarding the rise of non-contributory social assistance programmes in international development policy discourse. The paper argues that these programmes represent a residual form of social policy which does not enhance social rights or equality as a matter of course. The paper combines theoretical and empirical perspectives on social assistance from the Global North and Global South to highlight the significance of political and institutional factors in the analysis of non-contributory social assistance programmes. It reviews the evidence base for the benefits and limitations of non-contributory social assistance programmes in Europe, Latin America, East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Against this background, the paper presents and discusses new evidence from the MENA region and its implications for inculcating universalistic and rights-based norms in current policy discourses around social assistance. The paper uses qualitative and quantitative data on the MENA region based on two research grants: ESRC and Carnegie Corporation. The data consists of document and fieldwork based analysis of social policy institutions and secondary data on social expenditure. It proposes a revised typology of social assistance programmes that takes into account the forms of social assistance practiced in MENA and explores the influence of political economic drivers in determining the shape of social protection systems and their likely welfare outcomes.
Household targeting of cash transfers assumes households are stable and easily defined. Qualitative research in rural communities in Malawi and Lesotho reveals this to be untrue. As a result, households appear to be selected randomly, giving rise to widespread resentment of beneficiaries.
Paper long abstract:
Both Malawi and Lesotho have social cash transfer programmes that are intended to target the most vulnerable households, based on a combination of objective criteria (through proxy means testing) and community perceptions (community-based targeting). Based upon in depth qualitative research in two rural communities over a three-year period, we present evidence that these approaches are fundamentally flawed, because they presuppose a stable bounded household that can be assessed as deserving or undeserving. We argue that households in these contexts are both fluid and fuzzy. As a consequence the households selected are not distinctly 'more vulnerable' than others, but appear to be chosen arbitrarily. And as a result, across the communities, the schemes are perceived as unfair and recipient households experience stigmatisation. We contrast the reception of these targeted schemes with Lesotho's universal old age pension, which is viewed much more positively.
The article analyses the progress towards an authentic universalism in Latin America, by comparing healthcare in Cuba and Mexico. Findings show that internal and external economic and political pressures put at risk the consolidation of universalism in both cases.
Paper long abstract:
The advancement towards a universal model of social policy has formed part of public and political agendas of Latin American countries for several years. This article aims to understand the degree in which that objective has been achieved. The research compares the outputs of healthcare policy in Cuba and Mexico. Healthcare was chosen because it is commonly an area that governments prioritise to expand coverage towards universal coverage. The selected countries represent opposite case studies. On the one hand, Cuba has long been regarded as an extraordinary case of universalism in healthcare in the Global South. Mexico's healthcare system, on the other hand, was characterised throughout the 20th century by its high degree of fragmentation and limited coverage, although in recent years there has been attempted to break with its truncated nature. The analysis adopts the framework of social policy architectures, which compares funding, eligibility, benefits, providers and outside options. By reviewing the recent history of both systems and examining key indicators, the study attempts to stablish the extent in which the systems today achieve the goal of an authentic universalism. Findings show that in spite of the a universalist discourse and recent efforts to strengthen healthcare provision, strong economic and political pressures put at risk the construction of a universal system in Mexico, and the achievements of the Cuban system.
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