Paper short abstract:

What can be the meaning of transformative social protection when economic growth becomes increasingly jobless? The increasing de-coupling of economic growth and growth in jobs also implies a questioning of social transformation as the Polanyian 'second movement' to accompany the process creative destruction. We propose to do this by departing from Sen's ideas on coupling of disadvantage.

Paper long abstract:

We start with a review of the initial argument for considering social protection as part of a larger project of transformation. We then consider the evidence and drivers of the increasing decoupling of economic growth and growth in jobs. As ‘decent work for all’ increasingly loses ground as a realistic policy goal, this also has serious implications for the project of 'transformation' as conceptualized by Karl Polanyi in terms of a 'double movement' or a struggle between capitalist interests in sustaining the process of creative destruction on one hand, and other societal forces in making this process socially (and ecologically) sustainable. Building further on work by Svytich (2024), we argue that Sen's ideas on coupling of disadvantage can be helpful in re-conceptualizing social transformation. Coupling of disadvantage can be understood to operate in the form of basic capabilities triggering others, in the form of different conversion factors and in the form of capability deprivations in access to resources (Burchardt & Hick 2018). Consequently, we can redefine transformation as de-coupling of (dis)advantage. Our argument is substantiated empirically by reviewing the debate on the transformative potential of cash transfers.

Svytich, O. (2024) "Amartya Sen, Karl Polanyi, and universal basic income" in: Journal of Human Development and Capabilities. Vol. 25 n° 1, pp. 42-60.

Burchardt, T. Hick, R. (2018) "Inequality, advantage and the capability approach" in: Journal of Human Development and Capabilities. Vol. 19, n° 1, pp. 38-52.