Social Policy in Developing Countries

Oxford Development Studies, 2009

The concept and practice of social protection in developing countries has advanced at an astonishing pace over the last decade or so. There is a growing consensus around the view that social protection constitutes an effective response to poverty and vulnerability in developing countries, and an essential component of economic and social development strategies. This paper argues that the rise of social protection constitutes a response to global factors, but with considerable regional diversity. The paper examines the factors determining the future course of social protection and identifies urgent research needs.

The concept and practice of social protection in developing countries has advanced at an astonishing pace over the last decade or so. There is a growing consensus around the view that social protection constitutes an effective response to poverty and vulnerability in developing countries, and an essential component of economic and social development strategies. This paper argues that the rise of social protection constitutes a response to global factors, but with considerable regional diversity. The paper examines the factors determining the future course of social protection and identifies urgent research needs.

The European Journal of Development Research, 2014

The rise of social protection on the development agenda is now an established fact. The global financial and economic crisis since 2008 at least temporarily reinforced this, though 5 years later the emphasis seems to have shifted somewhat to so-called productive sectors and the potential of graduation out of social protection. This article reflects on the context in which this rise of social protection has taken place. It argues that reflection on the way approaches in international development practices are embedded in global politics is critical for the legitimacy and sustainability of progressive approaches. In particular, it is important that debates on social protection simultaneously keep an eye on the return of a developmentalist approach partly driven by the new international role of emerging economies, and ensure that the analysis of and advocacy for social protection are embedded in a broader notion of national policymaking in globalised contexts. L'ascension fulgurante du sujet de la protection sociale au sein de l'agenda du développement est maintenant un fait accompli. La crise financière et économique a renforcé ce thème, au moins depuis 2008, même si cinq ans plus tard le centre d'attention s'est maintenant déplacé sur les soi-disant secteurs productifs, et la possibilité de progresser au-delà de la protection sociale. Cet article analyse le contexte dans lequel la croissance du sujet de la protection sociale a eu lieu. L'argument exposé ci-dedans est basé sur l'idée que la légitimité et durabilité des approches progressives dépendent fortement de la façon dans laquelle les pratiques de développement international sont logées dans la politique globale. En particulier, il est important que les débats sur la protection sociale soient vigilants du retour d'une approche focalisée sur le développement, en partie soutenu par le nouveau rôle international des économies émergentes, et que ces débats s'assurent que l'analyse et le plaidoyer de la protection sociale soient ancrés au sein d'une notion plus large de prises de décisions politiques au niveau national dans un contexte globale.

2007

Publicly provided social protection is increasingly seen as an important element in the transformation of developing countries. Yet systematic comparative institutional analyses of social protection in these countries are lacking. This paper outlines a conceptual and theoretical framework for the study of publicly provided social protection in developing countries, drawing on the tradition of comparative social policy studies in the longstanding welfare democracies. The empirical example of universal child benefit programs indicates that the differences between developed and developing countries should not be overly exaggerated. The existence of such programs in 52 Sub-Saharan African and Latin American countries in the early 21 st century looks similar to the situation in the inter-war period in early-industrialized countries. Large differences between developing regions are evident in the institutional set up of other child benefits, but further analyses are required to disentangl...

Social development issues, 2024

Social protection in the form of cash transfers to reduce poverty and inequality is described as the "big idea" that emerged in the Global South over the past three decades. This article reflects on the direction that social protection is taking and reviews its achievements. A key challenge is how social protection policies are delinked from a wider system of social welfare and development programs in low-and middle-income countries. Drawing on lessons learned from cross-country studies, pointers are provided on how to overcome this bifurcation, including ways of strengthening social development theory, policy, and practice.

A Handbook of Comparative Social Policy, 2000

2010

This article is a contribution to the analysis of social protection diversity in developing countries and lies within Esping-Andersen's framework. By taking into account the degree of decommodification of social rights and the existence of informal schemes, our empirical analysis produces a four-group typology identifying a liberal model, a decommodified model, a social insecurity model and a model of informal social protection. Moreover, this typology cannot support the hypothesis of a model specific to emerging countries.

Indian Journal of Human Development, 2016

Social protection is variously seen as a right or poverty alleviation mechanism or shield from the vagaries of market. Although Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have brought out various social protection programmes through policies, legislations, constitutional guarantees and so on, their comprehensiveness and implementation remain a challenge. In this backdrop, this article explores the utility of delineating the foundations of social protection in international human rights law as an advocacy tool to demand the adoption of comprehensive social security systems. This human rights approach is demonstrated through eight key principles, backed with examples from the five countries. The article finds that the social protection measures in South Asia exist as scattered programmes, rather than as comprehensive systems. Most programmes tend to be targeted rather than universal. The article highlights the advantage of the human rights approach to social protection in understanding the gender dimensions and implications for socially marginalized groups, while noting that cost and institutional capacities can pose challenges before its implementation.

2012

Demand for social protection is growing in low income countries and fragile situations. In recent years, the success of social protection (SP) interventions in middle income countries (MICs) like Brazil and Mexico, along with the series of food, fuel, and financial crises, has prompted policymakers in low income countries (LICs) and fragile situations (FSs) to examine the possibility of introducing such programs in their own countries. Flagship programs in countries as diverse as Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, and Rwanda have shown the adaptability of social protection interventions to the LIC context. Yet, despite growing levels of support for these initiatives, many challenges remain. In LICs and FSs, governments are confronted with a nexus of mutually reinforcing deficits that increase the need for SP programs and simultaneously reduce their ability to successfully respond. Governments face hard choices about the type, affordability, and sustainability of SP interventions. The paper ...